


Lone Fox 2

by John_f_drake



Series: Outfoxed [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Competition, F/F, F/M, Kitsune, Multi, Other, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:47:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 216,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24362287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_f_drake/pseuds/John_f_drake
Summary: All works of Outfoxed can be read, with pictures, on my website - https://johndrakeauthor.com/outfoxed
Series: Outfoxed [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595692
Comments: 6
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

The alarm went off at four in the morning. It was only a single quiet beep, barely audible over the steady hum of the heater, but years of experience made her eyes snap open immediately.

Her limbs were heavy as lead as she drew herself up from her makeshift bed, which was nothing more than a pile of dirty rags placed directly under one of the bedroom’s heating vents. He'd kept her up late again last night. One a.m.? Two? It didn't matter. She had work to do, and exhaustion had never been an acceptable excuse. She ignored the screams of her muscles and forced herself up onto all fours.

Sweat dripped off her limbs as she padded towards the playroom, and her hair hung down in wet clumps. Their home was never less than ninety degrees, and she could tell that it was well over one hundred this morning. She would need to be very careful about staying hydrated. The last time she'd passed out from the heat had been two months ago, and he'd punished her for it by cranking the temperature up even higher and making her sleep under heavy woolen blankets for a week. She’d been more than half dead by the time he’d relented. The tropical warmth wasn’t actually necessary. She'd seen him as perfectly at ease in subzero weather as he was in the mansion’s sweltering heat. She wasn't certain if he even could feel hot and cold. The temperature, like so much of her life, had no purpose but to make her miserable.

Her throat ached, and she could acutely feel the lumps of metal in there every time she swallowed. Piercing her was his latest hobby, and every day he added something new. It had begun almost normally: rings in her ears, eyebrows, nose, lips. Then he’d moved on to more erogenous zones, putting rings in her nipples and clitoris. Following that he’d embarked on a larger project, lining the sides of her asshole and cunt with studs of varying shapes and sizes, designed to make her well used holes feel new again. For the last week, he’d been putting similar studs in her throat.

Before that had been tattoos. 'Worthless', 'puta', 'slut’, ‘肉便器’... nearly two dozen insults in nearly as many languages, inked all over her face. He'd made her memorize all of them, and would quiz her on random tattoos, checking that she remembered not just every degrading word that he’d marked her with, but their color, their size, the lettering style, every last detail. Whenever she forgot one or made a mistake, it would be painfully burned off of her skin and then reapplied, to encourage her not to forget it in the future. All but one of them had been redone multiple times by now. The sole exception, the one she never ever forgot, was the thick black tattoo scrawled across her forehead: MEAT. That’s all she was, he often liked to remind her. Just meat, to be chewed up and swallowed someday.

The playroom was a mess. Little wonder, given all that he’d done to her last night. The mats were spattered with drops of blood and cum, and there was a dark stain where she’d pissed herself in fear when she realized that she’d forgotten to address him with the proper respect. The baseball bat he’d shoved up her ass for her mistake was lying in one corner, more than a foot of it dirty from her guts. The ropes she’d been suspended from for hours still dangled from the ceiling, and lying beneath were all the various toys he’d tortured her with, each one tossed carelessly to the floor when he’d decided to try a different one.

She crawled to the cupboard to retrieve the cleaning supplies and get to work. For the next two hours, she worked diligently to restore the room to its former pristine state. Every instrument of torture was carefully washed and disinfected before being returned to its proper place on the walls. The ropes were untied, their kinks worked out, and then coiled up properly. The mats were scrubbed until no trace of bodily fluids remained. It wasn’t easy work, especially as tired as she was, but she pushed herself to get it done. She had a schedule to keep. When she was done, her fingers cracked and back aching, she turned on the computer and reviewed the camera footage from her session. There were six cameras placed in the room to capture the action from varying angles, and she spent another two hours reviewing, splicing, and editing the footage to create a thirty minute video. The bat was in there, of course, and him embedding the newest piercing in her throat, and the slow sloppy throatfuck she’d given him afterward as thanks, and all the other highlights of the night. Before every nightly session, he liked to watch the movie of the previous one while she sucked on him. If she’d done a really good job making her rape and torture look sexy for him, he was sometimes generous enough to cum in her mouth, which was one fewer orgasm she’d have to give him during the actual session.

Once the playroom was ready for next time, she crawled to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Everything in there smelled as delicious as always. He kept it well stocked with the finest and freshest ingredients money could buy. Her mouth watered, but none of it was for her. Meat didn’t deserve real food, after all. Her next meal was waiting inside his balls, just like all her previous ones, and she would get it soon enough if she was good. She selected bacon, eggs, and french toast for him this time, making his breakfast with practiced efficiency. While she worked, her left hand occasionally strayed to her pussy, stroking her pierced clit and sliding in and out of herself before licking her fingers clean. The habit was so ingrained that she barely even noticed herself doing it anymore. He liked her wet when he took her, and it was her responsibility to keep herself that way. Despite her tired limbs and sore body, her cunt was already soaked; it had been months since the last time he'd let her cum, and he often spent hours at a time bringing her to the edge of relief only to deny her each time, all the while mocking her as a slut for experiencing pleasure at her situation. She'd abandoned her pride long ago, and would shamelessly beg for the privilege of being allowed an orgasm.

A brief whimper escaped her lips as she rocked herself on her fingers, and for an instant she considered not stopping, then dismissed the thought with a shudder. He would know. He always knew. And there were few things he enjoyed more than punishing her for even the smallest lapse in obedience. When he’d first broken her, grinding her rebellious spirit into the dirt until she’d accepted that she was nothing but a toy, she’d naively assumed that being obedient would mean gentler treatment, that if she smiled and spread her legs for him like he demanded, he wouldn’t need to hurt her anymore. But need had nothing to do with it. He wanted to hurt her, and would eagerly seize any opportunity.

Breakfast was ready at twenty after eight, and she carefully balanced the plate on her back before crawling back to the bedroom. She moved with more care than any brain surgeon; the smallest slip would send his breakfast tumbling, and she had no time to clean up and prepare another. The plate was painfully hot and her back was as sweaty as ever, and in the eight minutes it took to make it down the hall she nearly dropped it four times. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief when she finally made it to the bedroom and was able to set the plate down on his desk, then began tending to her final task of the morning.

His “bed” was a thick slab of granite that he was sprawled on, softly snoring. The stone was warm to the touch as she joined him on it to kneel by his legs. Even asleep, his obsidian-like body rippled and glowed, as though some internal flame was threatening to break free. The heat was coming off of him in waves, and it was hard to even breathe when she was this close to him, the overheated air choking her lungs. He was lying on his side, and she had to nudge one of his legs slightly to the side to get access to his cock, suppressing a scream as her hand made contact. As always, his flesh was hotter than any fire, hot enough to burn away her nerve endings in moments. But she was given no such mercy.

That was thanks to what he mockingly called his protection. It kept his heat, any heat, from hurting her, but it did nothing at all to stop her from feeling it. He would often burn her just for fun during their nightly sessions, letting her twist and wail for long minutes before letting go, leaving behind only unmarked skin. For all the instruments of torture he experimented with nightly, none could match the raw agony of his cock cooking her insides whenever he raped her.

His cock was as soft as it ever got as she fearfully closed her lips around it. It was like eating hot coals, and she didn’t even try to suppress the scream this time as it seared her mouth. His thick, stony cock muffled her cries as she began dragging her tongue over his shaft, the act no less painful than licking hot magma. He began to stiffen almost immediately, and she gagged slightly as she took him in deeper, letting his head scorch her throat. The metal studs on her tongue were growing red hot by now, each one adding its own burst of pain to her experience. Her swollen tongue lapped at him quickly, desperate to finish the job and earn herself some relief. Her head was already starting to pound from the lack of oxygen, and it wouldn’t be the first time she’d passed out on his prick.

She shrieked with new pain as he rested a hand on the back of her head, and bucked his hips to force more of himself down her throat. Rationally she knew that the pain was empty, that he wasn’t doing any real damage, other than what came from having to deepthroat a massive, rock hard cock. But her body didn’t care about reason. It told her that she was swallowing solid fire, that it was going to burn her up from the inside out. So like always, she howled in terror and pain, part of her convinced that he was killing her. She was still screaming when he began to cum a few minutes later, boiling hot liquid jetting out of his cock. The liquid fire traveled down her throat and into her stomach, where it remained a burning agony. Experience told her it would take a while before it cooled significantly, sometimes hours. In the meantime, his dick remained in her mouth, and she started sobbing quietly as she realized that he wanted her to go another round. The tears sizzled into smoke as they reached his shaft.

In the end, she had to suck two more scalding loads out of him before he released her head. Despite her every instinct telling her to get as far away as possible, she stayed in place until she’d licked every drop of cum off of him. Only then did she allow herself to raise her head and back away, careful not to look him in the eye. She couldn’t go forgetting her place.

“Good morning, meat,” said the efreet lazily, his voice a deep rumble. He yawned and stretched before leaning forward to grab the plate of food from the desk. “Ready to begin another full day of fun and games?” he asked as he began working on his breakfast.

She wasn’t. She was drenched in sweat, dizzy with thirst and hunger, everything hurt, and she was so exhausted that she wanted to cry. But there was only one answer he would accept. “Yes, Master,” answered Samantha.


	2. Life in England

The well trimmed lawn was still slightly wet with morning dew as Ginger laid face down on the ground, hands gripping her ankles to keep her legs spread in a near split. Lionel was on top of her, his immense weight crushing her against the grass and dirt as he pumped furiously in and out of her cunt, stretching its walls like putty with each stroke. George Wilmingshire’s nephew was barely out of boyhood, but like all the men in his family, his troll heritage meant he was both massive and insatiable. The remains of six loads of cum already soaked the dirt beneath her, and she’d count herself lucky if he was even half done with her.

His large sweaty hands squirmed underneath her naked body, hunting for her tits. When he found them, he crushed them in an iron grip that made her flinch. “Such a sexy little fox,” he whispered in her ear, his breath hot and foul. “Sexy little fucktoy fox.” His hips were slamming into her ass cheeks so hard now that she felt her legs crunch with every blow, the bones cracking and splintering under the pressure. She bit her lip to keep from screaming at the pain, but she couldn’t stop tears from forming. “Do you think I could kill you like this, fox? Could I fuck you to death right here on my uncle’s lawn? Why don’t we find out?” His mouth found her neck and bit hard enough to draw blood.

Ginger had become popular among the entire Wilmingshire clan by now. George Wilmingshire seemed to have no end of relatives, and hardly a weekend passed without some of them paying the mansion a visit. Lionel was always the cruelest. Many of them, like her owners, treated her as a pet, showering her with shallow love and affection even as they used her for their own pleasures. To others, she was nothing more or less than a cum receptacle, and they would shoot their jizz into her with no more passion than they would have for pissing in a toilet. But not Lionel. Lionel always went above and beyond to hurt and degrade her. He seemed to derive far more pleasure from making her suffer than from anything her tight holes could do for his fat cock. That was why she hated and feared him, and why she always looked forward to the times he visited the house to use her. These days, his abuse was the closest she came to having anyone actually care about how she felt.

“Lunchtime, dear,” Mrs. Wilmingshire called from the porch. The blonde wore a carefree smile on her face as she watched her nephew hammer her fox. She looked as immaculate as ever, wearing a fancy dress that glittered in the sunlight even though she likely had no plans to leave the house today. Ginger had never seen her owner be anything but perfect and polished, save for when she was alone with her husband. The way she doted on him would almost be admirable if it didn’t go hand in hand with abusing their pet.

“Just a few minutes, Aunt Jessica,” Lionel said, not slowing his pace as he talked. “I want to play with Ginger a little longer.”

“Ginger will still be there when you’re done,” the woman said sternly, though she was still smiling. “Right there in that exact position waiting for you. Isn’t that right, Ginger?”

“Yip yip,” Ginger said immediately.

“Alright,” said the young man reluctantly. “Can I at least finish in her?”

“Of course you can, dear,” his aunt said warmly.

Lionel put his hands on the back of Ginger’s head, burying them in her red hair, and his pace increased until he was literally pushing the fox woman into the dirt, forcing the ground around her to make way as she was buried. With her face pressed into the warm, dark loam, Ginger could neither see nor breathe. Once, either of those alone would have instilled a sense of panic, but she’d accepted long ago that fucktoys didn’t need to see to do their job, and that oxygen was a luxury to be earned with hard work. So she remained docile even as her lung’s protests grew louder, patiently waiting for him to finish using her.

She’d nearly passed out by the time she felt the hot gush of his seed into her. The only reason it didn’t flood her womb was that the cavity was already full nearly to bursting with his cum. So instead it ran out of her, spurting around his still thrusting cock to shower the lawn. It was awful and disgusting and painful, and Ginger’s only response was to hold still and keep her hands passively on her ankles.

As Lionel ripped his still thick cock out of her and wrung what remained of his load out with his hand, spraying her back and hair, she reflected on how amazingly pathetic she was. She’d been a person for three centuries and a slave for nine months, and yet it was increasingly difficult to even remember that she’d once been the former. Whenever she thought back to the life she’d had in the forest, living free in her true form as a fox, it felt more like a childish fantasy than true memories. She knew it was her mind’s way of coping with her situation. She always had been good at lying to herself. Soon she would fully believe the lie called Ginger, and there would be no more Seo-yun left at all.

It couldn’t happen soon enough.

Once Lionel was done, trotting back into the mansion without sparing her a second glance, Ginger promptly began licking up what he’d left behind. Jessica Wilmingshire did not like a mess. Most of the boy’s cum had seeped into the dirt already, transforming it into gooey mud. It squished between her teeth as she chewed it up one bite at a time. She was provided pet food every morning and night, and the ingredients were likely as high quality as anything she’d ever hunted, but she never received enough to feel close to satisfied (”A skinny pet is a healthy pet” the morbidly obese Mr Wilmingshire often said), and the mud eased her hunger pangs. Her body would soon realize that what she was feeding it had almost no nutritional content and begin protesting, but for now her stomach felt pleasantly full.

She couldn’t do anything about the way he’d destroyed the grass beneath her and dug up the ground. How badly Ginger would be punished for that depended on her owners’ mood by the time their guests had left. If they were happy, they might simply have her sent to bed without dinner. If they were in a bad mood, she would be caned first. Once one of the Wilmingshires had decided to rape her right on top of the flower bed, ruining some of Jessica’s prized roses. For that, the servants had whipped her two hours a day, every day, for a month.

No one was watching to see if she dutifully swallowed every drop Lionel had gifted her with. No one was guarding her to make sure that she didn’t run off. If she did, they almost certainly wouldn’t catch her. The Wilmingshires employed many servants and bodyguards, but their roles centered around keeping people out, not in. And their mansion was large and luxurious, not built with a prison in mind. Few doors in it could even be locked, and none of the windows were barred. If she wanted, she could flee right now, and never see any of these people again.

But what would be the point? She was just a fucktoy.

Once she’d finished cleaning up, Ginger settled back into the groove her body had left in the dirt, burying her face as far into the ground as she could while leaving enough space to just barely draw breath through her nostrils. Then she put her hands on her ankles and waited for Lionel to return.

**********

Celeste held Ginger’s hair up as the fox vomited into the toilet, expelling the mud she’d eaten. She knew that there was no sympathy behind the dark haired woman’s assistance, only cold professionalism. Ginger was to keep herself clean between uses, especially while she was in the house. Allowing her to soil her hair would therefore be a dereliction of duty in the servant’s eyes.

Lionel had spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon playing with her. He’d made her kneel and swallow his dick, taking him deep enough into her throat that she couldn’t breathe, and then play with herself, fingering the same pussy that he’d just been violently assaulting. Several times she’d choked herself out trying, only to be woken by his cock slapping her across the face with enough force to bruise. When her climax finally approached, he’d interrupted it by throatfucking her, brutally tearing through her gullet while her body twitched and spasmed in frustration. She’d passed out before he was done, and woke to feel his hot cum already in her stomach. Then he’d done it again, and again, and again, until he was bored with her.

He’d broken most of her bones fucking her, smashing them to bits beneath him. There was a time when so much damage would have taken her days to properly heal from. Her body ached terribly, but it was restored enough to readily obey her as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the porcelain bowl. She had her owners to thank for that. In the months she’d been the Wilmingshire’s pet, not a day had passed without one of them all but destroying her body. The violence didn’t come with the deliberate sadism of Lionel’s, but that didn’t mean much to her crushed organs and shattered limbs. As a consequence of being forced to heal so much and so often, her natural healing had steadily improved. It was still nowhere near as strong as it had been as a gumiho in her true form, but far better than it had once been. Ginger took no joy in her development, however; healing faster just meant they could use her more often.

The red haired woman coughed and spat, uncertain if she was done yet. The muddy contents of the toilet swirled as Celeste flushed it. The Wilmingshire’s head servant scared her sometimes. The woman wasn’t human, that she’d known from day one. But she clearly wasn’t a fox either. Ginger knew that there were other races out there, but her parents had never gotten the chance to teach her about them, and after their deaths she’d only interacted with humans. Whatever Celeste was, she was cold and efficient, almost as much a machine as the Wilmingshire’s microwave or car. She obeyed their every command perfectly, never betraying any emotion or showing hesitation. In a way, Ginger envied the creature.

Mrs. Wilmingshire entered the bathroom without knocking. “There you are, Celeste,” she said as she pulled down her underwear and sat on the toilet, paying no attention to the naked woman kneeling in front of it. “Have you spoken to the chefs regarding dinner?” Though she had not so much as glanced at Ginger, the fox pushed her head between her owner’s legs and fastened her mouth on her slit.

“Yes, mistress,” Celeste answered calmly. “Everything is on track for dinner at five o’clock. The meal will be roast pheasant with mango chutney, with strawberry trifle for dessert. The sommelier has chosen a Pinot Gris as the pairing.”

“Trifle?” Mrs. Wilmingshire asked. She began to urinate into Ginger’s mouth, and the fox quickly swallowed to keep up. “No, no, that won’t do at all. Lionel doesn’t care for custard, and Nathan will already be drinking too much alcohol. Tell them to make a strawberry cheesecake instead.”

When the urine stream ended, Ginger sucked out what was left and then stuck her tongue into the woman’s pussy, finding it already damp. Though the fox had never pleasured another woman before Mrs. Wilmingshire, her owner had invested many hours in teaching her, and by now Ginger was intimately familiar with each and every fold of the woman’s sex. As dinner plans were discussed, the redhead brought Jessica to orgasm, gulping down her pussy cream as it flowed into her mouth. Some of it dribbled down her chin, and Ginger silently cursed her clumsiness, hoping the woman wouldn’t notice.

Jessica stood up and fixed her clothing. “Inform us when dinner is ready. We will be in the study playing bridge.” Her eyes flashed towards Ginger, and there was clear disapproval in them. “But before that, Ginger has gone and made a mess of herself. Please discipline her. One hundred and fifty strokes should be sufficient.”

“At once, mistress,” Celeste said. She knelt, and with one hand pushed Ginger’s head into the toilet bowl, while the other began to smack her upturned rear. The woman was unnaturally strong, and every time her hand made contact with the fox’s soft flesh, there was a noise like a gunshot and a spike of pain that radiated through her entire body. Mrs. Wilmingshire left without watching.

For a long time after that, there was no sound in the bathroom but the rhythmic spanking of Ginger’s backside, and the fox’s quiet sobs. “You are not yet broken,” said Celeste eventually, the words spoken without inflection.

Ginger had no response to that, even if she had been allowed to speak anything other than “yip yip”. She certainly felt broken. Levinson had hollowed her out, destroying her pride and dignity along with her mistaken belief that she was anything more than a fucktoy. The Wilmingshires had refilled her with obedience and submission. There was very little Seo-yun left inside her anymore.

“You are not yet broken,” Celeste repeated. “It will be easier once you are.” She seemed to have nothing further to say, and when she had finished all one hundred and fifty strokes, she stood and left without a word, leaving Ginger alone with her pain.

**********

After dinner that night, Ginger found herself seated in the lap of George’s brother, her belly bulging and his cock buried in her ass. Nathan Wilmingshire cupped her breasts and bounced her up and down on himself idly as they all sat on the couch and watched television, where men in brightly colored uniforms were running up and down a field. Ginger couldn’t follow what was going on, but that was mostly because all her attention was elsewhere. She was focused on caring for his dick properly, massaging and squeezing the thick shaft just the way he liked. “You know, it’s almost time for the Paradisium to open again,” he drawled during a commercial break. When his cock began to spurt inside her, her asshole was stretched so tight around him that not a drop of it escaped, just like his eight previous loads. Her belly bulged a little more as he further filled her packed guts. He didn’t stop bouncing her. She didn’t stop working.

“Yes, only a month away now,” said George pleasantly.

“Have you decided who you’re rooting for? I’ve already got money on Ember taking it a fifth year in a row, but I hear good things about that green girl, Storm something.”

George cleared his throat. “Actually, we’ve decided to take part in the game this year. We registered our Ginger for it a few weeks ago.”

“Really?” Nathan asked skeptically. “You’ve only had her for nine months. Why throw her away so soon?”

Jessica tittered. “Nonsense! We wouldn’t register her if there was any real harm. You’ve seen how durable she is. I’m sure it will be nothing more than a pleasant romp for the girl.”

Ginger knew that they were talking about her, and that she should probably care. But Nathan was almost ready to cum again, and that was more important than anything involving her future.

“Well,” Nathan said slowly, “I suppose you’re right about that. Still though, you don’t honestly think she could win, do you?” He closed his eyes, and Ginger’s stomach began to swell further. 

“Perish the thought, man!” said George, chuckling. “Our sweet little Ginger? We just thought it would be a treat to see what it’s like to be more than spectators for once. We’ll be proud of our girl even if she doesn’t make it past the first round.“ He leaned over to scratch her beneath her chin. “Yes, we will!”

**********

Ginger crawled into her bed, exhausted after a long day. They called it a bed anyway, but it was nothing more than a padded basket. It wasn’t very large, but she was able to squeeze herself into it if she curled up, head down and hands around her knees. Her insides still felt stretched out. After Nathan and Lionel had left, it had been her owners’ turn to play with her. While George had alternated between ruining her pussy and her asshole, the unused orifice given only a few minutes to heal up before being smashed open again, she had given Jessica five more orgasms, hyper vigilant about swallowing every drop this time.

Her stomach rumbled as she tried to get comfortable. As expected, she’d been given no dinner as punishment for the lawn. She’d been able to ignore the hollow feeling in her stomach while she was being used, but now that everything was quiet and still, it demanded her attention.

“Goodnight, sweetums,” George called out. He and Jessica were lying in their own bed, a real bed, which Ginger’s basket sat at the foot of.

“Yip yip,” she responded automatically.

The Wilmingshire’s mattress began to squeak, and Ginger heard a giggle from Jessica. Her husband’s cock was too large for her to take without serious damage or death, but she sometimes used her hands or chest to finish him instead. The squeaking grew louder and George moaned, eliciting another giggle from his wife.

Jessica whispered to her husband, Ginger’s sensitive ears picking up every word. “I know how much you love Ginger, and I do too, but sometimes I worry that she makes you happier than I do.”

George chuckled and whispered back. “Don’t be silly, dear. I do love our pet, but she’s nothing more than a warm condom.”

“Condom or not, let me spend a little time making you feel good too. Mmm, my big, strong, wonderful husband.” George groaned again.

Ginger shut her eyes and tried to ignore the sound of her owners’ lovemaking. Yes, she told herself, that’s all I am, a warm condom. Ginger the perfect fucktoy, with no thoughts or feelings or memories to weigh her down.

She hoped that she believed it when she woke.


	3. The Vulpan

Nine months ago.

The young kitsune looked dead, but when Daniels kicked her in the stomach she made a quiet sound of pain. She hung from the ceiling in chains. One was wrapped around her arms, keeping them above her head and pointed at the ceiling, while more were wrapped around her ankles and knees, keeping her legs spread wide in an M shape. Her head was down, staring at the floor.

They were standing in what had once been a walk-in freezer, inside a small and apparently abandoned military facility in Eastern Europe. All evidence of its former occupants and purpose had been stripped away, leaving gray walls and empty shelves. Levinson had asked Daniels how the vulpan had acquired the place, but the man’s only answer was that their work paid well. The facility wasn't empty, but it was far from full either. Levinson would have been surprised if there were much more than a hundred people in their entire operation.

The place was also filthy. There was trash everywhere, scattered beer bottles, dust and grime and years old stains. When Levinson had complained about it, Daniels had told him that he was welcome to hunt down a broom and play janitor anytime he liked. It seemed like nobody had here had any sense of discipline or routine, and anarchy seemed to be their only guiding principle. According to Daniels, they lived on prepackaged food bought in bulk, drank at all times of day, fought and fucked whenever the mood took them. Male vulpan outnumbered females nearly nine to one, which meant if the women weren’t careful, they were liable to find themselves cornered and gangraped. As a result, all the women here were either tough enough to take care of themselves, or sexually aggressive enough to welcome the gangbang as much as the men did. Most were both.

"You feel like fucking her?" Daniels asked Levinson. "She doesn't react much, but she's as warm and snug inside as any of them." He kicked the captive fox again. "Introduce yourself to our newest recruit, Nami."

Chains rattled as the brown haired fox girl slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were dull and unfocused, and drool ran down her chin. "Please fuck me,” she mumbled. “Nami is a good girl, good fox fuck." Her head lowered again.

"What did you do to her?" asked Levinson. He felt no sympathy about her condition. She was just another pathetic bitch, after all.

Daniels shrugged. "Nothing really. I mean, we fucked her silly for a while, especially when we first got her four years ago, but that's not what turned all the lights out." He reached out and began absently groping her chest with one hand, roughly kneading her soft tits. "This is what happens after you put them through their paces enough times. Nami, how many fox marbles have you made for us now?"

"Eighty two," she answered automatically.

"That'll do it. Usually takes thirty or so before you start seeing an effect, but after that it's a permanent downhill slide. Every time she hands over a new marble, it's like a bit of her soul goes with it." He smiled. "But you should've seen the slut those first couple days. Real firebrand, weren't you, Nami? Remember how much you kicked and squealed the first time I rammed into that ass?"

The fox girl gave no response.

"So why haven't you dumped her yet, if she's so far gone?" Levinson asked.

Daniels gave him a mock offended look. "Abandon sweet little Nami? Perish the thought, man! Kitsune don't grow on trees, you know. It took time and effort to bring her here. Besides, she's good for at least another hundred marbles. Eventually she'll be completely empty and just kind of stop. They still breathe and all, swallow if you put food in their mouths, but there will be nothing going on upstairs. We usually dig a hole out back when that happens. Skin them first, then toss them in and let nature take care of her own." He shoved two fingers between her legs, playing with her slit. "You looking forward to that, Nami? To having your soul shaved away one marble at a time and your body buried alive?"

The kitsune didn't move, but a tear ran down her cheek and fell to the floor.

"See that? There's still a person in there, for now." He looked over at Levinson. "Well, if you're not gonna..." Daniels unzipped his pants, and soon he was pumping in and out of the brown haired fox girl's cunt.

"I'm not here for some half dead pussy," Levinson complained. "You promised to teach me how to use this fucking thing inside me."

"Lighten up, man!” Daniels had hold of one of Nami’s chains, and was using it to swing her back and forth in time with his hips. “That's exactly why I brought you to see her. Feed her the meat we brought so we can get started. "

Allen whimpered through his tape gag as Levinson shoved the man forward. His hands were bound behind him with rope and his ankles were cuffed together. Without stopping his rape of the fox girl, Daniels grabbed the man by the hair and pulled him closer.

"Nothing personal, man," he told Allen, who was weeping and babbling something through the gag. "I kinda liked you guys, honestly. But we're predators and you're prey. That's all there is to it." He pushed the man against the kitsune, pressing his neck against her mouth. "Lunchtime, Nami!"

Allen screamed as she bit into him, tearing out a chunk of flesh. His body twisted madly, trying to get away, but Daniels had a solid grip on his head, and soon the man slumped. Daniels let the corpse drop to the ground and grabbed Nami's hips so he could thrust faster as he began his last spurt. He groaned happily as he pounded her cunt, shooting his seed deep inside her.

"There!" he said, sounding pleased with himself. "And now she's got a fresh marble warm in her belly, right beside my cum. Go get it, champ."

Levinson looked at the girl's bloody mouth with disgust. "You expect me to kiss that?"

"Aww, is the man who ate half his subordinates a few nights ago feeling a little squeamish about some blood?" Daniels asked with mock concern. "Do you want a bib too, so you don't get any on those fancy clothes?"

Levinson's hand clenched into a fist, and for a second he almost gave in to his anger and punched the bastard's teeth in, but he restrained himself. "You told me I needed to wear the fox skin to transform," he growled instead. He hadn't taken off the tattered red robe since first putting it on, but Daniels and the others didn't seem to need skins, transforming freely no matter what they wore. The man's casual dress compared to his robe made him feel ridiculous enough without Daniels calling attention to it.

"And you do," Daniels agreed. "But you won't get very far going around with a ratty pelt on your back 24/7. Call this lesson one." He took off his shirt and showed Levinson his back, then tore a line of his own flesh open with his fingernails, revealing brown fur underneath. "We sew it under the skin. Keeps it hidden and available at all times. Don’t need a full skin either, just a bit of it. When we skin Nami here, hers will be good for about five people, ten if we’re careful. You'll get the same surgery before we're done today, get you a proper strip of fur instead of those rags, but for now you get to feel like a pretty princess." He put his shirt back on. "So get smooching."

Levinson cursed under his breath and stalked forward. He pressed his lips against the fox girl's, tasting Allen's sticky life blood as his tongue pushed into her mouth. She met it with her own, and he could feel the marble deep down inside her. The fox cunt back at the camp had made him work for it, but Nami fed him her marble easily, bringing it up her throat and passing it into his mouth. He felt it burning hot on his tongue for a second, and then it was sinking down his own throat and deeper. He broke off the kiss and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Need a cootie shot while you're at it?" Daniels asked. Levinson glared at him, but that only made the man's smile widen. "Right, can you feel them both inside you now? Lesson two: never activate more than one at the same time."

"Why?” The blond man asked suspiciously. “What happens?"

"You remember what it's like when you transform?" Levinson nodded. It was an excruciating process that had nearly killed him as the fox fur had covered him inside and out. "Activating one gets you from human to fox. Hurts like hell, but you'll get used to it. Activating another doesn't mean becoming a stronger fox, it means transforming again on top of that. You won't be a fox anymore, you'll be something else. I think the official name for it is 'fucked'. If you're lucky, you'll die quick. Either way, we'll need a mop to clean up what's left."

"Then why have multiple marbles in the first place?"

Daniels tapped his chest. "Because lesson three, my friend, is that these things were made for foxes, not humans. When we use them it's like plugging 90 volt batteries into something that uses 50. Breaks them down and ruins them. The one you already had is from a real gumiho, and that will last a good long while, but most of us are using crap marbles from Nami or one of our other pets that don't work for more than a few years. And once you start using a marble, you can never stop. Even if you’re in human form, losing it will make things get messy fast. Once a vulpan, always a vulpan, yeah? So you need to get in the habit of always keeping a backup. If one breaks down and you still have a spare inside you, it's no big deal, but if your last one breaks, we'll be needing that mop again."

He patted Nami's head. She shivered at his touch, but made no other move. "Good girl. One more piece of that soul put to better use. Here, let's give you a bit of rest." He picked up a filthy, cum stained rag from the floor, and draped it over her shoulders. Her form immediately shifted, leaving a brown fox hanging in her chains. "Every time she makes a new marble, we give her an hour or two to recover some foxfire. If she eats someone while she's running on empty..."

"Mop?" Levinson guessed.

"See? I knew you were smarter than you looked," said Daniels happily.

"Wait...." said the blond man, thinking. "What about when we fed the fox slut her boyfriend?"

"Dead fox walking," Daniels confirmed. "Bet you don't feel as bad about getting screwed on that contract now, do you?"

"You must be the new one," interrupted a female voice. The woman who entered the room had Asian features alongside a shock of bright red hair. Her body was all lean muscle, and she wore an army jacket over a shirt and jeans. She didn't spare a glance for the softly crying fox as she looked Levinson over. "Cute. My bathrobe is blue."

"Morning, boss," Daniels announced, firing off a lazy but genuine salute. "Just showing Levinson here the ropes."

"Mmm hmm." She kept studying Levinson. "I'll take over from here. You can go."

"Aww, but I wanted to watch," Daniels protested.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Fine, but keep your mouth shut while he and I get better acquainted."

"Yes boss, starting now, boss!"

"Come with me," she told Levinson. "It's time to give you a test drive." She turned around and stalked away without looking to see if he was following. Levinson looked at Daniels, but the man just grinned and mimed zipping his lips shut.

“What do you think of the place so far?” the redhead asked as he followed behind her down a hallway.

“It’s a bunch of lazy, incompetent slobs,” he answered. That got a chuckle from her.

“You’re not the first one to think that way. But the ones that survive learn to see the beauty of our existence. To be a vulpan is to live in complete freedom, beholden to no one. We do what we want, when we want, who we want. Asking permission is for the weak.”

“Then why even stick together?” he asked. “What’s the point of a group if everyone is just going to do whatever they want?”

She glanced back at Levinson. “Because we’re a pack,” she said, as though the answer should be obvious. “We belong together. We work, hunt, fight, fuck, and play together, like any good family. And that’s why just swallowing a fox marble or two doesn’t make you a vulpan. If I don’t think you deserve to have your orbs, I’ll rip them right out and eat them.” She flashed him a smile. “Same goes for your fox marbles.”

Their sloppiness and disorganization made much more sense now that he knew they had a woman for a leader. “I didn’t come here looking for a family or any other feel-good bullshit,” he said flatly. “I made an agreement with your man Daniels. I come work for you vulpan, and you teach me how to use the fox marbles.”

Rumors of the werefoxes and their abilities had been around for ages, but it was only two years ago that he’d finally encountered solid proof of their existence. The sort of power they represented, the ability to turn an ordinary man into a superhuman weapon, was exactly what he’d been looking for. That was why he’d formed his mercenary outfit in the first place, and why he’d felt no remorse over disposing of them once he no longer needed them; the money was decent, and he was always happy for the opportunity to rape an arrogant subhuman or two, but power was what really mattered. It had taken some doing, but eventually that braying jackass and his lackey Jacobs had approached him with the offer of recruitment.

For weeks he’d endured them looking over his shoulder day in and day out, “evaluating his potential”. The offer from the Wilmingshire bitch had been a stroke of good luck, moreso when he learned about a gumiho just sitting around in South Korea letting her power go to waste. The stupid furry cunt had been more stubborn than he’d expected, but she’d broken in the end, like he’d known she would. Once he had a marble of his own, they’d had little choice but to accept him.

“You made that agreement with him, not with me,” said the redhead. “I don’t care if he promised to suck you off every night before bed too, no one joins us without my permission.”

Another hoop to jump through. “This is a waste of my fucking time,” he snapped. Joining them was looking more and more like a mistake. Being looked down on by trash like Daniels was bad enough, but he wasn't about to let some red haired bitch who couldn’t even keep her people in line mock him and order him around.

The woman chuckled softly. "Then I won't waste any more of it." She stopped and faced him. "We'll do this right here, right now. You show me yours and I'll show you mine."

Her smile infuriated him. She'd look far better choking on his cock. "What are the rules?" he asked.

"Rules?" she said, amused. "Now who's wasting time? I thought I made it clear: anything goes here. " She gave his crotch a deliberate look. "And yes, that does mean anything. If you're man enough to do it."

Seething with anger, and more than a little lust, Levinson activated his fox marble. The fox skin robe expanded around him, covering him with red fur, invading his body to change him from the inside out. Daniels had been right; it already far hurt less than the first time, and happened faster too. In a few moments, he was now a massive nine tailed red red fox that nearly came up to the man's shoulders.

The woman was gone as well, replaced by a golden fox only a little smaller than he was. She sat back on her haunches, clearly inviting him to take the first move. He sprang at her, eager to put the woman in her place. That fox cunt had been as worthless a bitch as any he’d ever met, but he was certain that her marble made him the strongest and fastest one here, and there wasn't enough room in the narrow hallway for the golden to fox to dodge.

Something wrapped around his leg in midair, and suddenly Levinson saw stars. He was flat on his back, head ringing, the golden fox now behind him. Her tail unwound itself from his limb and rejoined her others while she yawned.

Humiliation burned in him, and Levinson scrambled to his feet to charge her again, keeping an eye on her tails this time. But instead of trying the same tactic, she hopped over him with the grace of a matador leading a bull. Levinson felt her jaws close around of his own tails, and then the world flipped upside down as she swung him over her head to slam into the ground again.

The red fox righted himself again just in time to see his opponent decide to take the initiative. She fell upon him, all teeth and claws and snapping tails, and it was like trying to fight a swarm of hornets. Every time he tried to strike her she melted away like smoke, while effortlessly landing attack after attack.

Her assault lasted less than a minute, and left him torn up and bloody on the ground. Several of his tails had been chewed or ripped off, and his healing ability was the only reason he wasn't bleeding to death from his injuries. The golden fox casually licked some of his blood off her paw before transforming back into the red haired woman.

"I think Akemi might be fond of you," Daniels told the prostrate fox. "I've never seen her go that easy on someone before."

"You're not the only one with a busy schedule," said the red haired woman. "You’re pathetic, but you might clean up nice with a bit of training, so I’ll let you stay… for now. If you're still not interested in joining the pack, you know where the door is. Otherwise, I'll be in the sparring room down the hall." She and Daniels walked away, leaving Levinson behind to heal.

As soon as his injuries were gone, Levinson reverted back to his human form and stood up, still a little shaky. He swore to himself that one day he'd make that cunt pay for underestimating him. He'd teach her, slowly and painfully, what happened to women who didn't know their place.

But for now, he followed after her.


	4. Welcome to the Paradisium

Ginger had never seen half the creatures around her outside of traveler's tales. The other half she'd never even heard of. It would have been a thrilling sight, if they didn't all look as miserable as she did.

Mrs. Wilmingshire nudged her husband. "Oh, look at that one, dear," she said eagerly. "Isn't she a darling?" Her attention was on a dog eared woman with short brown hair who crouched low while she serviced five different cocks with her hands and mouth, constantly switching her attention from one dick to another while keeping all five men groaning in pleasure. Her movements were eager and she was smiling around their cocks, but Ginger could see the bone deep weariness in her eyes.

"Mmmm hmmm," Mr Wilmingshire agreed. "I found that girl over there rather fetching myself." The woman he was talking about had hair that shimmered like diamonds in the light as she moaned sensuously, writhing within a pile of men. She had two cocks buried in each of her holes, and she was holding herself open to help someone else squeeze a third into her ass. There were faint whip scars on her legs and back.

All around them, hundreds of similar scenes were playing out. Women of every shape, color, and size imaginable servicing both men and women with the dedicated obedience of harshly trained animals. By all rights, the entire place should have stunk of sex, but instead it smelled almost intoxicatingly sweet, like a garden of flowers.

Ginger had no idea where this was in relation to anything else. Far enough to require another long plane ride, at least. Like the first, she’d spent it in a crate. The insides were more comfortable, and she was placed on her own seat instead of with the luggage, but it had still been a crate. It had been a private plane, populated only by her, Mr and Mrs. Wilmingshire, and Celeste. The servant had been the one to fly the plane, and after they had landed, she had driven the car that brought them here.

Ginger had seen much of the human world since being abducted from her forest. Not in person, but through the television box they so often enjoyed looking at. That was why she knew the word for a place like this: palace. It was a reception hall larger than a football field, and with a dizzying splendor that put even the Wilmingshire mansion to shame. Dozens of servants moved among the red carpeted floor with plates of refreshments, attending to the guests that weren't too busy enjoying the captive women. Even more were crawling on the ground, all of them naked and beautiful. They were the reason the hall still smelled good: they diligently licked the aftermath of each sexual encounter off of every affected surface before carefully drying them with their hair. They were occasionally groped or spanked by some of the guests, but for the most part they were ignored completely.

A variety of furniture had been placed for convenience while the slaves were used. Some were fancy but otherwise normal furniture: couches, beds, chairs. Others were contraptions of steel, rubber, and leather that were clearly designed first and foremost for sex. Nearby, a blonde girl with gills on her neck hung in the air by her arms, held there by cuffs connected to a high bar. Her legs were up, wrapped around the torso of the man using her pussy. She squeezed tight around him and bucked as he came, all but riding him. As soon as he was done, the next man in a long line took his place to receive the same treatment.

All around the walls were dark screens that she recognized as television boxes. The only boxes that were on were placed not on the walls, but around some kind of round, squat structure at the center of the hall. Men and women were at each of the little building's many windows, accepting money in exchange for little slips of paper. The lit screen above them were meaningless lists of words and numbers, like "VORONA 5:1" and "EMBER 1:2".

The Wilmingshires had come to this place dressed in their finest outfits. George was wearing a tuxedo so well fit that it made him look merely staggeringly overweight. Jessica was bedecked in jewelry from head to toe, and Ginger had overheard enough to know that her mistress’s ensemble for the occasion had cost more than they'd spent on the fox’s entire capture and training. Even Ginger, who crawled between her owners on a leash, was made up for the occasion. She'd been hand washed and scrubbed and treated until her skin glowed and her fur shined. The fox had seen herself in mirrors, and knew that even without five of her tails, she looked more magnificent today than she ever had in the forest. She was a very pretty fucktoy.

Only Celeste looked the same as ever as she trailed behind her master and mistress like a silent, cold shadow. That was because she always looked her best, and today was no exception. Her serving clothes were less fancy than Jessica’s most casual outfit, but they were still sharply professional, perfectly fit, and the fox had never seen so much as a speck of dust on them. Similarly, while she wore no makeup or jewelry, she possessed a keen beauty that outshone almost all of the overly made up women they passed by, and earned her frequent hungry looks.

A finely dressed but obviously drunk man stumbled towards them, and Ginger tensed as she saw the lust in his eyes as he beheld her. "Georgie! Jess!" He said. "Who's this beautiful specimen you've brought this year?"

"Oh, you mean our Ginger?" Mrs Wilmingshire asked modestly, preening at his praise. "Just a little birthday present for George. You like her?"

"I do, and I'm sure I'll like her even more once I get to know her better," he said with a wink. "I thought that selkie of Mordred's had drained me dry until next week, but I'm feeling a second wind at the sight of this one!"

"Ah, my apologies, Tom," Mr Wilmingshire said with regret. "We brought her to be part of the game, actually."

"You did now? Well, that's quite alright!" Tom crouched down in front of Ginger, and the redheaded fox forced herself to hold still as he ran his hands over her. "Just means I'll need to make a house call soon, so I can play with her in private and really take my time. Assuming she survives, I mean." He pulled her mouth open and made a show of inspecting her teeth. "What kind of training regimen you use for her?"

”Oh, we didn't bother with silly things like that, " George told him. "We're not one of those terribly cruel owners who demand victory. We just want her to have a good time."

"Right, right... makes sense..." Tom stood up and brushed his hands. "I know I'll certainly have my eye on her. You should probably put her mask on, though, before someone thinks she's for public use and doesn't ask first. You did at least get a mask for her, right?"

"Of course, " Mr Wilmingshire said with a touch of indignation. "Just because we're not as gung ho about this as some doesn't mean we're daft. Our Celeste designed a very fine mask for her, actually, and we picked it up this morning. Show him, dear."

His wife dug into her purse and pulled out something small and round. One side was pure white, and the other... Ginger gasped. It was her face! Not the human one she was now forever stuck with, but her real face, snout and whiskers and all! Her eyes filled with tears at the impossible sight, and she didn't even know if they were of joy or sadness.

Jessica gave her a small but pointed look at her outburst, and Ginger knew she'd be punished for it later. But for now, the woman merely pressed the white side of the mask against the fox's face. There was no string or adhesive to keep it in place, but it stayed on perfectly. So perfectly that after a few seconds Ginger could no longer even feel it on her face, and had to touch it with her hand to confirm it was still there.

"Oh yes, she looks like a right proper beastie now, " Tom said with approval, then glanced around. "Well, if Ginger isn't available, I suppose I should..."

Mr Wilmingshire clapped him in the shoulder. "Go have fun, man. We're going to do the same after we drop her off." He pointed a thumb behind him. "There was one back there that's just your type, purple hair, tattoos, and the most amazing cleavage..."

Tom grinned. "You're a good man, Georgie." He gave Mrs Wilmingshire a deep but playful bow, and then hurried away in the direction George had indicated.

"Dear..." Mr Wilmingshire said slowly once he was gone.

"We'll go drop her off straight away so you can hurry back and play with your friend, " his wife said, her eyes twinkling. "Deep down you men are all just overgrown boys, you know."

"I saw the way you looked at that lizard girl," Mr Wilmingshire said defensively, though his tone was good natured. "The one with the long tongue. You're just as eager to go play as I am, aren't you?"

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about " Jessica declared airily, but she took hold of his hand and guided it under her dress and between her legs. When she pulled his hand out it glistened, and without ever breaking eye contact, she brought it up to her mouth and sucked her juices off of him one finger at a time.

A scream from somewhere in front of them caught Ginger’s attention. There were moans and fake cries of pleasure all around her, but this sound held only pain. She looked and spotted the source: a young woman with chestnut brown hair and beautiful white wings hanging upside down by her ankles from a crude pulley. Her wrists had been bound to rings in the floor, leaving her body completely taut.

The woman cried out again while two men went at her with whips, and her wings flapped uselessly in the air. One man cut lines across her flat stomach and swaying breasts, while the other was slashing up her backside. Although the wounds they left behind looked severe, they weren’t the reason she was screaming. That honor went to the third man, who was slowly cranking the wheel attached to the pulley to stretch her already straining body farther and farther.

There was an ugly sound as her ankles dislocated, and the man cranking the pulley stopped. “That’ll do for now,” he said as he shoved his cock down her throat and began using both hands to thump her head violently against him, treating her throat like a cheap fleshlight. “Every last drop, bitch. You spill a single one, and we find out how many cranks it takes to rip a limb right off.” She made a muffled, whimpering sound of obedience.

Mrs Wilmingshire sniffed. “Barbarians. Honestly, what a waste of a good animal.”

“Well, yes, but we don’t know the full story,” her husband said, though he looked uncomfortable. “If her owner decided she was disposable, presumably she did something to deserve it.” He glanced down at Ginger and scratched her beneath her chin. “Don’t you worry sweetums, we’d never do something like that to a good girl like you. You’ll be our lovely cum pet forever and ever.”

As they passed by the woman, Ginger saw a tattoo inked on her forehead in thick black letters: MEAT.

She spotted several more women with the same tattoo as they walked. All of them were being treated as brutally as the first. One was laying on her back, fucking the man in her cunt with raw desperation as he idly carved her chest with a knife. Another, whose body was covered from head to toe in tiny burns, pointed a trembling finger at one of the few undamaged patches of skin on her stomach, showing the woman lighting the cigarettes where she should put the next one out. Ginger had been through worse tortures than any of them, but she’d been able to heal from all of it. None of the women she saw seemed to share that ability. She would’ve helped them if she could, but she could no more do anything for them than they could for her.

She was grateful when they left the last of those women behind and reached their destination at the end of the great reception hall, where two heavily armed guards watched over a spiral staircase going up. They glowered as the Wilmingshire's approach, but stepped aside respectfully when Jessica presented them with paperwork from her purse.

At the top of the staircase was two more guards who also needed to see Mrs Wilmingshire's papers, and ashort hallway with only one door. The room they entered was similar to the reception hall they’d just left, but much smaller and less populated. Like her, all the slaves wore masks, each one unique. Unlike the downstairs, none were being raped. Instead they knelt in positions of subservience, some with owners standing next to them and some not.

Many of the women were breathtaking in their appearance. A green haired woman with horns and leathery wings that wore the snarling face of a dragon. A seven foot tall woman with a giraffe mask, a horn protruding from a hole in its forehead, and a luxurious mane of bright orange that cascaded down her shoulders and reached the small of her back. A woman with ivory white skin and long jet black hair, whose body was wrapped in massive wings of the same dark color, face obscured by a raven mask. A golden haired woman with a mask like a butterfly and a body so perfect that even Ginger felt her pulse quicken at the sight.

“Oh, my word,” Mrs Wilmingshire whispered to her husband, Ginger’s sensitive ears catching her words. “Do you see the one in the corner? Isn’t that...”

“Shhh now,” Mr Wilmingshire said in an equally low volume. “Some people are more fortunate than others, my dear. Not everyone can afford an exotic pet. Best not to stare.”

“But she’s-“ Jessica cut off as one of the other owners approached, his slave crawling behind him to keep up. He was a young man who at first glance seemed as well dressed as anyone else here, but on closer inspection his clothes were slightly mismatched and rather ill-fitting.

“Can’t help but notice you had an eye on my Betty,” he said cheerfully. “She’s a real beauty, isn’t she?” Betty was a young, dark haired girl with bronzed skin wearing a feline mask, with a tail between her legs and cat ears sticking up out of her hair. Except... the ears looked stiff and not at all lifelike, and there were bits of dried glue in her hair. The tail looked a little more like genuine fur, but from the way it hung limp except when the girl’s ass swayed, Ginger was fairly confident it was attached to a butt plug. Even her eyes, which looked shaped like a cat’s at first, had pupils whose color was a little too uniform and unnatural. Contacts, almost certainly.

“Yes,” said Mrs Wilmingshire, adopting a polite expression. “Such a fine specimen would the prize of any household. You must be quite proud of her.”

“Oh no no no,” he said quickly. “She’s not all that special. I’ve got lots just like her back home. Lots.”

“Right,” Jessica replied smoothly. “Well, it was a pleasure to meet you and Betty, Mr...?”

“Glendale,” he said proudly, as though he expected them to recognize the name. “Martin Glendale.” He paused. “Of Glendale Automotive, one of the fastest growing car suppliers in America? Number one in more than six states?” He launched into a badly off key melody. “When you wanna get there, then you need a Glendale-“

“Yes,” George interrupted. “Yes, of course we’ve heard of Glendale Automobiles-“

“Glendale Automotive,” Martin corrected quickly.

“Right, right, Glendale Automotive. Stand up place, that’s what I always hear. No finer spot to get a new vehicle.”

Martin seem to relax slightly. “That it is! We have some fantastic deals for older models as well.” He leaned in. “In fact, we just got a shipment of some 1970 Model T-Birds in. Barely touched, less than ten thousand miles combined.”

“Really now?” Mr Wilmingshire asked, suddenly sounding genuinely engaged.

“Yes indeed,” Martin said eagerly, pouncing on the man’s interest. “Now, I shouldn’t be doing this. I’m already practically losing money selling them at used car prices. But you seem like good people, so I’m willing to put profit aside and offer you the friends and family discount of-”

“That sounds lovely,” said Mrs Wilmingshire loudly, “But we really must be getting our Ginger squared away. If you’ll excuse us...” She took her husband’s hand and gently but firmly led him away. “Used car salesmen…” she muttered when they were out of earshot. “What is this place coming to?”

“He didn’t seem all that bad to me,” Mr Wilmingshire said. “Besides, my dear, we see his type here every year. New money looking to make inroads with old money. He’ll be gone next year.”

“He’d better…oh, Mr Mordred!” Jessica waved a hand at a short man with a Mediterranean complexion standing near a blue eyed, dark haired girl in an otter mask. “Now he’s the proper sort of person to be here,” she confided to her husband as they came near the man. “Distinguished and mature.”

Since she’d entered the palace, Ginger had been assaulted by a cacophony of different smells, most of which she’d never encountered before. They had all blended together into a sort of undefined stench that permeated everything with no individual source. But not this Mr Mordred. His scent was like a scream that rose above the general din. He stank of death, and Ginger instinctively recoiled from him.

“Just Mordred will do, actually,” he said, giving them a smile that never approached his eyes as he offered his hand. “And I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”

“Mr and Mrs Wilmingshire,” boomed George, taking the man’s hand. Ginger nearly gasped out loud at the way he touched Mordred without any reservation. She knew humans had terrible senses, but how could they not feel the sense of death and disease radiating from this man? It was like watching prey carelessly stick its head in a predator’s mouth. “And no, I believe this is our first time meeting you, but we’ve heard all about you from our friend Tomas Baily. He swears by your establishment.”

Mordred nodded. “Yes, Mr Baily. One of our regulars at Avalon.” He glanced down at Ginger, and when their eyes made contact it was like bugs crawling in her fur. It took everything she had not to shudder. “And who is this creature? You don’t see too many kitsune around here.”

“This is Ginger,” Mrs. Wilmingshire said. “We had her imported from Asia last year. I had to do business with an absolutely dreadful fellow to get her, but she’s a good pet. When she remembers her place, of course.” She looked past him at the girl with the otter mask. “And that must be one of your esteemed selkies then?”

“Yes,” Mordred said absently, his attention still on Ginger. She looked away, her stomach churning at the thought of meeting his eyes again. “Snowflake, one of my feistier whores. I’m hoping this will teach her a little humility, if she survives.” Then, to Ginger’s horror, he grabbed hold of her chin, the touch making her shudder with revulsion, and forced her to look back up at him.

“Kitsune are very tricky creatures, you know,” he muttered as he looked into Ginger’s eyes. She tried to close hers, but her body wouldn’t obey. Not just her eyes, but all of it, her entire form going limp, held up only by his grip. Trapped inside her own head, she couldn’t even scream as the monster loomed over her. All she could do was keep staring unblinkingly into those terrible eyes, which seemed to grow larger and darker the longer she looked at them. They filled her entire vision, becoming yawning black pits that she would fall into forever. “You can never be too careful with them.” The world around her was gone, replaced with darkness and death and cold as she fell and fell and fell…

And then he broke eye contact with her and the feeling vanished. “But I can see you have little to worry about from this one,” he said, letting go of her chin and letting her sag down. “A kitsune with no foxfire is just a furry fleshlight.”

His words sickened Ginger even more than looking into his eyes had. No foxfire? It had never obeyed her, not in all her centuries of life, and she’d been told that losing it was the price of becoming a gumiho, but she’d still had some tiny hope buried deep that perhaps one day would be different. That perhaps it was still slumbering inside her, or there was some trick to it her parents had failed to teach her before they died that she could someday learn. But if this thing that called itself Mordred could look at her and see that she was empty and worthless… she hung her head to hide the tears as they dripped down.

There was more small talk with Mordred, and with several other owners, but Ginger wasn’t listening to any of it. She didn’t start paying attention again until she felt Mrs Wilmingshire tugging her leash to urge her forward. Her owners had stopped in front of a window in the wall, where a bored looking man was looking down at her. “This her?” he asked, and looked down at some papers. “Ginger Wilmingshire?”

“Indeed,” Mrs. Wilmingshire confirmed.

The man wrote something down, then handed two small metallic items over to the woman. “Receiver and transmitter,” he said.

“Come again?” she asked. “You’ll have to forgive us, we’re not very good with technology.”

He sighed, and pointed to one of the things in her hand. “Receiver. You stick that in her ear and it will bond with the mask.” He pointed at the other thing. “Transmitter. Lets her handler talk to her.” He took in her blank expression and sighed again, then pointed to the doors that lined the room. “Each player get a private room where they can monitor what’s going on and use the transmitter - that - to give their game piece directions and advice.”

Mr Wilmingshire’s eyes lit up. “Fascinating! I must admit, we never really paid much attention to the specifics of these things. I always assumed the owners just sort of watched, but this means we practically get to participate too!” He chortled.

“Yes,” the man said flatly. He glanced at his watch, then raised his voice to address the entire room. “Mr Emmeck will be arriving in a moment to begin interviews, so we’ll need all players to clear the area. Proceed to your private rooms or go downstairs to the public viewing area.”

Mr Wilmingshire knelt in front of Ginger. His wife handed over the receiver, and he pushed it into Ginger’s ear. Just like the mask, after a few moments she could no longer feel it. “We’ll see you in a few days, sweetums,” he said. “I really will miss you, you know.” His fingers were idly playing with her nipples, flicking and pinching them. “All these other girls are lovely, but I can’t fuck any of them half as hard as my favorite cum pet. We’ll have a lot of catching up to do when you get back.” She nearly gagged when he kissed her directly on the mouth, his tongue worming between her lips to lap at her. “You have fun now.”

Mrs Wilmingshire stroked her hair. “And be a good girl,” she reminded the fox. “There is no shame in losing, but you are a Wilmingshire, and must not act in ways that would disrespect our family name.” She turned to her husband. “Well, should we go find our room?”

“We could do that…” Mr Wilmingshire said slowly. “Or… we could go find you that lizard girl.”

“And maybe a certain purple haired haired pet while we’re down there?” she teased.

“Well, if we happen to see her along the way…” he said with a smile. The two disappeared headed back downstairs hand in hand, Celeste walking quietly behind them To her disgust, Ginger found herself almost sorry to see them go. They were horrible, but they had become a familiar kind of horrible. Not like whatever was going to happen next.

“Mr Emmeck is arriving in the staging area,” said someone right next to her, and she jumped, looking around to find no one there. “I repeat, Mr Emmeck is arriving in the staging area.” She put a hand up to her ear. It was that receiver they’d given her.

A door opened and several people dressed in more casual clothing than she’d see anyone else wear came into the room, wheeling large cameras in with them. As they began moving them into position, someone else strode in behind them. He was an older man, early fifties with more than a touch of gray in his hair and mustache, and wore a flamboyant white outfit that almost seemed to be nothing but ruffles. He clapped his hands once and rubbed them together. “Good morning, my girls!” he said jovially. “Who is ready for the most exciting time of the year? Places now, places. All of you line up by the wall, there. Don’t worry about order, just find a spot and let the cameras worship you.”

Ginger allowed herself to be herded along with everyone else until they were all grouped together and kneeling submissively, more than forty in all. Uncomfortable about being near so many people, she chose a spot on the edge of the crowd. All the cameras were pointed in their direction, and she found it strangely intimidating. Being raped by total strangers had become part of her everyday life, and yet she was somehow nervous about being watched. She looked at the other girls, trying to see if any of them felt as anxious as she did, but their expressions were impossible to read behind their masks.

“Perfect,” praised the man. “Absolutely perfect! Now just stay like that and let me do all the work, my little chickadees.” He stepped in between them and the camera, and accepted a microphone from one of the cameraman. “Alright everyone, we are going live in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three…” Lights on the cameras blazed on, and Ginger flinched in surprise.

“Welcome!” said the man, speaking into the microphone. At the same time, his voice came in through the receiver as well, creating an uncomfortable doubling effect. “To all of you watching at home, and those of you right here in The Paradisium, thank you for joining us this year for what promises to be a match like no other! My name is Vin Emmeck,and I am delighted to be your host once again. Now I have to tell you, folks, I have seen this year’s batch of girls, and they look like real fighters. They’re tough, they’re smart, they’re resourceful. I think we’re gonna have a reaaaaaal close competition this year! And any one of these girls could be taking home the trophy!”

He turned around to face them. “But don’t just take my word for it! Let’s talk to these lovely ladies and see for ourselves!” He strode forward, and Ginger had only a single horrible second to realize that he was headed right in her direction before the microphone was pointed at her. “Let’s begin with this stunning and, dare I say it, foxy competitor! Introduce yourself to your adoring audience, honey!”

Ginger stared wide eyed into the camera, her throat dry. Her mouth worked, but nothing came out. Emmeck looked back at the camera and winked. “It seems she’s a little shy, folks! It’s alright, honey, we’re all your fans here! Tell us your name!”

She swallowed hard. “Yip yip,” she said quietly. Her owners had been very clear that she was not to speak, and they would be watching.

Emmeck chuckled. “Yip yip, huh? I don’t think I remember seeing a name like that on our roster…” He put two fingers on the ear piece he wore. “I’m being told that this is Ginger! Sweet, shy Ginger! Can you tell us a little about yourself?”

“Yip yip.”

Emmeck turned to the camera again. “Now how’s that for a one track mind?” he joked. “Is this your first time at the Paradisium?”

Ginger nodded, grateful for a question she could answer without speaking.

“Aha!” declared Emmeck. “An actual answer from our Ginger! And how do you like it so far?”

“…Yip yip.” Ginger was grateful she had the mask to hide her blush, even moreso when she heard scornful laughter, not from Emmeck or the cameramen, but from one of the other women. It was the otter masked woman, the selkie that the creature Mordred had brought.

“Awwww,” said Emmeck in mock distress. “We’ve lost her again, folks! Here, let me try to bring her back! Ginger! What do you get if you take a yip and multiple it by two?”

The fox’s cheeks were burning so hard now she was no longer certain the mask could hide them. “…Yip yip…”

“Correct! See folks, interviewing is an artform: it’s all about asking the right questions! Ginger, if the lovely Miss Yip Doe falls in love with and marries the brilliant Mr John Yip, what will her new name be?”

“…Yip yip…”

“Correct again! Last question! When someone is riding that sweet foxy body of yours, and they’re having the time of their life in your tight furry cunt, and they want you to go faster and harder and really knock their socks off, what do they tell you?”

“Yip yip…”

“Correct! There you have it, folks! The brilliant and talented Ginger! With a brain like that, who knows what she can accomplish?! But let’s move on to our next lovely lady…”

The next woman had no trouble answering Emmeck’s questions, and neither did the next. Ginger felt utterly humiliated, and for a time she didn’t even hear what was going on around her, too caught up in her own head. It wasn’t just because she had made a fool of herself on camera, though that was certainly a big part. She had assumed that all the other women had roughly similar experiences to hers, but that wasn’t the case at all. They might be slaves, but they were at least allowed to talk, to be people. Even among fellow slaves, she was pathetic.

Emmeck had gone through nearly half the women by the time Ginger caught the sound of laughter and started listening again. He was interviewing Betty, Martin’s “cat girl”. “I’m sorry,” he said with exaggerated politeness. “I think I need to hear that again. What’s your name, honey?”

“My name is Betty, meow,” she told Emmeck, her voice soft and meek.

“Betty… meow?” he asked with a grin.

“Yes meow,” she confirmed in a serious tone, and this time Emmeck wasn’t the only one to laugh.

“We are delighted to have you with us today, Miss Betty Meow,” he said when he’d recovered. “What do you think of your chances, hmm? Are you going to be the cat that catches the canary?”

Betty bowed her head. “It is an honor to compete, meow. I will do my best to make my owner proud, meow.”

Many of the women, like Betty, acted reserved and quiet, clearly afraid of the situation. Some of the others, though, didn’t even sound like slaves, their voices brimming with confidence. “You wanna know the reason Ember keeps winning, Vin?” asked a green-skinned woman in a shark mask. “Because she keeps getting lucky. But this is the year her luck ran out, because this time I’m here.”

“Bold words from the fearsome Storm Hag,” Emmeck said. “And from the bets already placed today, it seems like many people out there agree with you. But we’ve seen a lot of girls test their mettle against Ember, and she’s left all of them in the dirt. What makes you different?”

“Difference is I’ve already won,” Storm Hag said smugly. “Just last month, I went on a blind run through perfect recreations of the last four games, and in every single one I outperformed the sparrow’s record. That means I’ve already beaten her four times running ; this year’s just gonna be the first time I get to do it in person.”

The woman in the butterfly mask, the one who had made Ginger’s heart race, merely seemed bored. “I am here because my master wished it to be so,” she said coolly, as though there were no other possible answer. The woman called Gossamer held herself with an air of refinement, somehow making her kneeling position look like one of elegance and power instead of submission. “Do you have any questions that are not a waste of my time?” Even Emmeck didn’t seem immune to her scorn, stammering out an apology before moving on to the next woman.

The interviews were nearly over when, without any warning at all, a blue haired woman in a jackal mask scrambled to her feet and ran for the exit. Ginger expected Emmeck or one of the others to chase after her, but they just stood there and watched as she sprinted with as much terrified speed as any prey animal Ginger had ever witnessed.

She was only halfway to the exit when she collapsed to the ground in a heap, like a puppet with its strings cut. She flopped onto her back and Ginger saw that the eye, nose, and mouth holes of her mask had all vanished, replaced by smooth white. She clawed at the mask with bloody fingers as she suffocated, but it was as unyielding as steel. Everyone watched, unmoving and silent, as her struggles slowed, and finally stopped completely. Moments later, the jackal mask crumbled away like powder to reveal her face, frozen in a look of terror.

A few servants came in and collected the body.

“Well, folks, I guess that’s one contestant already eliminated!” Emmeck said after they left, sounding completely unperturbed about seeing someone die in front of him. “And my apologies to those of you who’d placed your bets on what’s her name! They can’t all be winners, right?” He began interviewing the next person as though nothing had happened. The remaining women’s responses were understandably muted, which made the fox feel just a little bit better. She wasn’t the only one horrified by what had happened.

While he talked, Ginger surreptitiously let her hand creep up to the edge of her mask. An experimental pull confirmed what she’d feared: hers wouldn’t come off either. Whatever signal or trigger had caused the jackal faced woman’s mask to murder her could kill her just as quickly and easily. The shame she’d felt before vanished, and even her grief for the poor unnamed woman dimmed. What mattered right now was surviving.

“Well, that’s everyone, folks,” Emmeck said after interviewing the last woman. “All the fabulous contestants for this year!” He scratched his head with a look of feigned puzzlement. “But isn’t there someone we’re forgetting? Like some sort of, I don’t know, queen of flame and sky…?” His voice began to grow in intensity and volume. “The mistress of the inferno? She who cannot fall? The wielder of the eternal flame? The living storm? The one, the only, the first four time champion in the history of the Paradisium…EMMMM… BERRRRRR!”

The lights went out, bringing total darkness to the room. But only until she stepped in.

Unlike all the other women, she wore a cloak of ruby red feathers that clung to her, highlighting her sleek form. Her golden bird mask was covered in streaks of red that were somehow both flame and feathers at the same time. And her hair… her hair was on fire. Ember illuminated the entire room as she burned, light and shadow swirling as her flames flickered and danced. She looked larger than life, like a goddess descended to the earth.

She accepted the microphone from Emmeck, but she didn’t face the camera like all the others had. She faced the girls instead. “Many of you came a long way to be here today,” she said, her voice hard. “Many of you have suffered for this opportunity. Many of you have paid dearly. To all of you who have trained for this, studied, worked yourself to the bone day after day pushing yourselves for the sake of victory, I’m sorry. This isn’t your year.”

Ember tossed the microphone back to Emmeck, and then the phoenix spun on her heels and left without looking back.


	5. The Game Begins

"Excellent performance, girls, just superb!" said Emmeck as soon as the cameras were turned off. "I was genuinely captivated! Now let's not keep you waiting any longer, my dears, let's get you started! Follow me! That's right, no need to be shy, come right along!"

All of the girls except for Ginger rose from their kneeling positions and walked in the direction he was indicating, down a long hallway with a plush red carpet. Ginger crawled. She felt foolish about it, but the rules were the rules. She was an animal, and animals didn't stand. She hadn't done it since... since Morris had tried to escape with her. The memory brought with it sharp and familiar pain. The one person who tried to save her from all this, and in the end she'd killed him herself.

"Can you hear us?" said Mr Wilmingshire through the receiver. "Ginger?"

"Don't be silly, George," said Mrs Wilmingshire with amusement. "These don't work the other way, remember? Now Ginger, you were a very good girl for Vin just now. We're proud of you."

"Yes, very cute," Mr Wilmingshire agreed. "Absolutely adorable. Everyone down here was just roaring with laughter!" Ginger felt shame heat her face. "Now, once you get started I think you should go... hmm, which way should she go, dear?"

"North, I suppose? I feel like that's always a generally good direction, isn't it?"

"If you say so, dear, then I'm sure it's true. North it is, Ginger!"

The hallways they were walking through grew significantly less fancy as they went deeper into the Paradisium. These were passageways for the servants and staff to use, not places that the people downstairs would ever be treading in. Occasionally they passed by an employee or two, who would duck out of the way with the timidity of frightened rabbits. None of them looked quite as bad off as the slaves downstairs, but they still had worn faces and too lean frames.

If their rundown states bothered Emmeck, the man didn't show it. He whistled a jaunty tune as he led the mob of women like a pied piper to their destination, a freight elevator. It was large, but everyone still had to squeeze together to fit. Ginger crouched on her back legs to help minimize how much room she herself took up. "This is where we must part for now, my beauties," Emmeck told them after they were all in. "But rest assured, I will be watching over all of you! Best of luck!" He gave an elaborate bow as the doors closed on his grinning face. The elevator rumbled and began to move.

The time passed slowly and uncomfortably in the crowded metal box. Ginger spent most of it with the Wilmingshires, who had forgotten that their transmitter was still on and chattered in her ear about their lunch plans. Aside from them, the journey was a silent one. Ginger glanced at some of the other women, and saw a few of them nodding. They must all be listening to their own receivers, she realized. And probably hearing more important info than whether their owners were more in the mood for steak or salmon.

She still hadn't heard a single explanation of what this game she was supposed to be participating in was, and she was increasingly certain that she wasn't going to get one. It was frustrating, given that everyone else seemed to know exactly what was going on, but not surprising. People rarely bothered to explain things to her. They only punished her for getting them wrong.

The elevator felt like it was moving at a swift pace, and Ginger had expected their time in it to be brief, but it showed no sign of stopping as the seconds and minutes piled up. The deeper they descended into the earth, the more she felt like she was being buried alive. She'd been underground before, but never anywhere near this deep. She imagined the millions of tons of rock now above them, and felt slightly sick. She'd already lost her forest; were they going to take the sky and stars away from her too?

About half an hour passed before the elevator at last shuddered to a stop. Trepidation raised goosebumps all over Ginger's flesh as she stared at the closed doors, and she wasn't the only one. Almost every woman looked tense as they waited, their body language filled with varying degrees of excitement and fear. The redhead heard murmured whispers as two or three of them prayed.

The doors slid open.

Everyone else rushed out like a herd of deer fleeing a wolf, emptying the elevator in bare seconds. Ginger padded out more slowly, looking around. They were in a large stone cavern, with more than a dozen twisting passages leading out in different directions, and lights embedded in the stone walls at regular intervals to provide illumination. The other women scattered as they ran, two or three to each of the tunnels. The dragon girl flapped her wings and disappeared up a hole in the cavern roof, followed closely behind by the raven. Another winged girl, this one sporting pink hair and an eagle mask, streaked past the women on the ground instead, taking an immediate lead. In moments, Ginger was completely alone in the cavern. She flinched as the elevator doors behind her shut loudly and definitively.

She regarded the passageways with bemusement. Was she supposed to know what was down them? Did the others? They were all in a hurry, that much was clear, but she still had no idea what they were after. The red fox touched the wall next to the elevator, and sniffed it. Wherever they were, it was nowhere natural. The wall looked like stone, but it felt off, and it smelled of paint. This entire cave formation was man-made, probably out of cement.

"And they're off, folks!" said Emmeck excitedly in her ear, the announcer's voice replacing the Wilmingshires. He was painfully loud, and she winced in discomfort. "With only ten minutes left before round one begins, all of our beautiful contestants have scattered to the four winds, seeking the fabulous presents we've left for them down there!" His voice turned dry. "Well, almost all of them. Poor Ginger seems to be busy admiring the stonework. But who can blame her? Our artisans have really outdone themselves this year, creating some amazing locales for our girls to play in! Many of them won't make it past the caves to appreciate them, of course! Round one is where we start to find out who the real contestants are!"

"Oh, do go on then, Ginger," said Mrs. Wilmingshire. "Don't just sit there."

"Yes," said Mr Wilmingshire. "Any way you like, really!"

Ginger was tempted to just lay down and wait for the game to be over. She couldn't possibly gain anything by winning, and she doubted that losing meant death, not if her owners had sent their favorite pet without any worry. But that would only bring punishment afterward. And... it was odd. Levinson had thoroughly beaten anything resembling pride or self esteem out of her, and yet somehow she found that it still rankled to be looked down on. To everyone else in the world, everywhere but inside her own head, she was just stupid adorable Ginger.

She picked a passage at random and began crawling down it. She'd lived for centuries on all fours, but this body wasn't made for it, and she was aware that she was traveling far slower than any of the other women had. But it couldn't be helped. Though there was no sign of any cameras, Emmeck's running commentary made it clear that everyone was still being watched. The rules were more important than this game.

She'd barely begun before the tunnel split, and then split again, and again, and again, until she'd completely lost track of what direction she was heading in. The caves seemed to be a complex maze of interconnected passageways. Ginger pictured the palace somewhere far above her. If the caves took up even half as much space as the reception hall had, they were a very vast maze indeed.

After a few minutes of meandering, her current tunnel opened up into a small circular cavern. It was empty, but she saw tracks on the ground leading in and out of every passage. Whatever had been here, if anything, had already been taken. She found two more caverns as she crawled along, all of them equally picked clean, and felt a growing sense of frustration. Was that it then? Would she spend the entire time chasing other people's shadows? Why was she even trying to do this, if she'd already lost?

"And as we rapidly approach the start of round one," Emmeck boomed, "Ember, the queen of flame and sky, is the last contestant to enter the playing field! For the sake of all our other poor earnest girls, we just had to give our fiery champion a little handicap this year. After all, we wouldn't want our prodigious phoenix to get bored, would we? Now, will the head start everyone else received mean the difference between victory and defeat? I don't know about you, but I can't wait to find out, and I don't have to! Because it all begins in five, four, three, two, one!!"

At first, it seemed to Ginger that nothing at all had changed when his countdown stopped. But then she smelled something. A sharp, aggressive scent like spoiled meat coming from behind her and quickly growing stronger. It was a foul and abrasive stench that made her hair stand on end, the olfactory equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. "Oh my," said Mrs Wilmingshire admiringly. "They've really outdone themselves this year, haven't they, George? Those things are almost as big as you are!"

Her husband chuckled. "Yes, they are fine looking animals, aren't they? Perhaps we should see if we can get one for Ginger when we get back home?"

The red haired fox tried to crawl away from the source of the scent as quickly as she could, but it seemed to be coming from every passageway. Not the same smell every time, but subtly different. Multiple sources. She caught the faint clacking of nails on the ground as the unseen creatures raced down the tunnels. She reached a four-way intersection and turned around, paralyzed with indecision. Which way to go? Which way... 

One of the beasts appeared from behind a bend. It was a dog... no, it was something that had once been a dog. Now it was something else, something grotesque. It was huge, nearly as large as she'd once been as a fox, with an incongruous bright pink ribbon tied around its neck. Whatever cruel trick had increased its size had done nothing for its dark fur, which was left only in ragged clumps, separated by exposed skin stretched over bulging muscles. Its fangs and claws were long, sharp, and jagged, but they weren't what terrified her about it. The source of her fear was the bulbous red penis that protruded from between its legs, precum dribbling out the tip. Like Jessica had said, it didn't look like quite as frightful as one of the Wilmingshire's, but it would still be absolute agony to be violated by something that large. And even if its cock had been tiny, the thought of being mounted and used by a disgusting animal like this was enough to make her skin crawl.

Its black, beady eyes met hers. It was only for an instant, but that was all it took for her to understand that despite its appearance, it was no mere beast. It wasn't true intelligence that she saw behind those eyes, but there was something more than animal cunning there. When the beast's cock twitched at the sight of her and the creature sprang forward, she knew sadism was guiding it more than any base instinct. She'd seen it often enough, in almost every human she'd met in the last year, to be more than familiar with it. The dog wanted her. It wanted to pin her down and ram its cock into her and make her scream as it savaged her insides.

She turned and fled, scrambling away on all fours.

Ginger knew she couldn't evade it for long. The creature was steadily closing the distance as it bounded after her, and there was no chance of wearing it down with a long chase. The dog was bursting with manic energy, completely unlike a pet who'd been half-starved for months and spent her nights so miserable that she barely caught any sleep. Its unnatural form was the only reason she wasn't tackled within the first few seconds; its legs were jointed in multiple places, giving it an awkward half running half crawling gait, and because of its great size and ungainliness, it wasn't actually moving all that quickly. She could have run circles around it when she had her old body, and even now she could possibly outrun it on two feet if she pushed herself. But that was about as feasible as flapping her arms and flying.

She moved from one passageway to the next, going in random directions, hoping she might throw off the beast, but it easily matched her every turn, growing closer with each passing moment. "It looks like we're about to have our first elimination, folks!" said Emmeck eagerly. "I know we all had such high hopes for little Ginger, but I supposed this it's only poetic for our fox to be brought down by hounds!"

She didn't even know why she was fleeing. It was a huge, ugly thing that wanted to rape her. So what? That was her life now. Why pretend that today could be any different? But she found herself trying to escape anyway, trying to outrun the inevitable. The beast was almost right on top of her when Ginger burst into a new tunnel and saw another contestant there, a brown haired woman with a deer mask and matching antlers. A pair of blue ribbons, identical to the dog's except for color, were knotted around one wrist. The woman froze in surprise to see her, just for a second, and that was all it took. The dog changed targets in an instant, pouncing on the deer and crashing into her with its several hundred kilos of mass. The brunette squealed as she was slammed into the ground, the beast's cock already inside her. Ginger continued crawling away, not looking back as her cries echoed down the tunnel.

"A sudden turn of good fortune for Ginger!" Emmeck announced. "And a disastrous one for White Hart, our very first elimination! Don't worry, my "deer", all of our guard dogs are sterile, so there's no danger of leaving the Paradisium with a belly full of puppies... not that our good boy there isn't going to try his best to prove us wrong!" He laughed. "And our Ginger isn't out of the woods just yet, folks, because here comes another one!" Ginger darted a glance behind her and saw that the man was telling the truth. A second hound, just as big and gruesome as the first and wearing an identical pink ribbon, was charging towards her.

"Good show, sweetums," Mr Wilmingshire said. "I quite thought that was the end of it, to be honest. Whatever happens now, at least you won't have been first to go, eh?"

Ginger kept crawling as fast as she could, now panting with exertion and half convinced she could feel the dog's breath on her backside. Was there nothing else she could do? She felt foolish for trying to run in the first place. She should just lay down and spread her legs. She had no illusions that submission would make the beast treat her any less viciously, but that didn't matter. Being used roughly was what fucktoys like her were for. But despite the urging of her common sense, she continued padding down the tunnels.

She reached another intersection and spotted a cavern at one end. She hurried towards her only chance, praying that it wouldn't be as empty as all the others. "Ooh, did you see that, folks?!" Emmeck shouted. "Oh my, White Hart is going to be feeling that for a while!"

The announcer was still crowing about whatever had just happened when Ginger reached the cavern, the dog close behind. Her eyes darted all around, taking it in. There was something there! It was... it was a box of crackers wrapped in a blue ribbon. And the cavern was a dead end, its only exit blocked by the chasing hound. Nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. Nothing to defend herself with. She spun around to face the beast, choosing to meet it head on instead of being downed from behind. At least this way, she thought bitterly, it was more likely to rape her cunt instead of her ass.

The dog sprang forward, slobber running down its chin, and even though Ginger thought she'd resigned herself to her fate, at the last moment she rolled to the side on pure instinct, dodging its attack by bare inches. The hound spun around and came at her again, and again she dodged. The third time she wasn't so lucky. She was a moment too slow, and while she dodged the tackle itself, the hound's claws caught the side of her arm and ripped it wide open from shoulder to elbow. For anyone else the arm would be crippled forever, and even for Ginger it was a serious injury that wouldn't heal anytime soon. She stumbled and collapsed to the cavern floor into a quickly expanding puddle of her own blood.

"A nasty wound for Ginger, but don't look away just yet, folks!" Emmeck cried. "I think we're about to see something special, because here! She! Comes!" Ginger caught the scent of smoke and a glimpse of flickering flames, and then another woman was there, racing down the tunnel towards them.

Her robe was gone, exposing a lithe athletic frame, but Ember's hair still blazed like before, casting wild shifting shadows across the walls. As she entered the cavern at a sprint, she leapt into the air, soaring for a brief moment before landing on the hound's back. She wasn't a small woman, and she'd built up considerable momentum, but the huge dog didn't even flinch at the impact. It howled in anger instead and tried to buck her off, but the phoenix wrapped her long legs around him and held on deftly. She raised something small and sharp in her right hand: a broken off antler.

Ember buried the jagged thing in the beast's neck, and yellow blood fountained out. It howled again, still angry, but this time there was pain and fear there too. The animal went into a frenzy, staggering from side to side in a violent attempt to throw her off, smashing itself against the cavern walls, but it couldn't stop her from pulling the makeshift weapon out and stabbing it again and again. Its movements slowed further with each passing second, until the creature staggered into a complete stop. It wavered in place for a moment, then toppled to the ground.

The flame haired woman hopped off it as it collapsed, tearing its pink ribbon free as she went. With a practiced motion, she looped it around her wrist and tied it on with one hand, where it joined two blue ones. She picked up the box of crackers, which had ended up half destroyed in the commotion, and took its ribbon as well. Then she went back to the dead beast and pried off one of its great fangs, tossing the deer antler away in favor of the superior weapon. Ginger watched it all numbly from her prone position, still in shock.

"Did you see that, folks?!" Emmeck was screaming. "Did you see that?! In a single decisive action, Ember not only rockets to first place and a clear lead, she demonstrates why she has been our champion for so long! We've been dazzled by her fearlessness for the last four years, and it appears this year will be no different, as right out of the gate she goes on the attack, as fast and deadly as a firestorm! With that ten point ribbon, combined with the one she just picked up and the two she retrieved from poor White Hart, who is busy receiving her second batch of puppy batter even as we speak, she's already put herself at an impressive thirteen points!"

Ginger stared up at the woman with amazement and gratitude. She had... she had saved her! If not her life, she'd at least saved her from another horrible rape. The redhead couldn't remember ever seeing anything more majestic than the phoenix in that moment, the firelight playing over her body as she stood tall and proud.

The woman approached warily, looking at the visibly healing wound on the fox's arm, then crouched beside her. Ginger didn't resist as the woman took hold of her arm, allowing her to examine it more closely. "That's a neat trick," Ember said, watching the wound slowly closing up. "But weaklings like you shouldn't be here." Ginger screamed as her savior stabbed her in the shoulder with the beast fang.

The fox tried to turn away, but the flame haired woman shifted to pin her down with a knee on her neck, handling her as easily as she'd handled the hound moments ago. She grabbed Ginger's wrist with her other hand to keep her arm still as she tore the fang down its length, nearly bisecting it entirely as she ripped the flesh open. She did the same for her other arm, then took hold of one of Ginger's tails and impassively wiped the blood off of her weapon before standing. "Just stay here and wait for the end," she advised coldly, and then strode away. Ginger stared down at the two wounds as Ember disappeared back down the tunnel. Even with her improved healing, it would be hours before she was recovered.

"That's two contestants down," announced Emmeck. "But there are four hours left in round one, and it's still anyone's game! More than half of the one hundred ribbons remain uncollected, and there are always more guard dogs!" He chuckled. "Storm Hag is already catching up to Ember at eleven points, and Vorona isn't far behind at seven! Happy hunting girls, and remember: it's not just about who has the most! It's the ones with the least that will have to spend the rest of the game down here entertaining their new canine pals. You should all thank Ginger and White Hart for their generosity in ending up with zero points!"

"Ah well, she had a good run," Mr Wilmingshire said, not sounding particularly bothered.

"And to be taken down personally by Ember, no less," agreed his wife. "Mrs. Lancaster will be beside herself with jealousy."

**********

If the remaining rounds were like this one, Du Jiao Shou reflected, this would be even easier than she'd expected.

The giraffe masked woman strode as fearlessly through the tunnels as she would in the safety of her own home, her curly orange hair flowing down her back. She was flanked by two hounds on either side of her, and two more both behind and ahead, the beasts small compared to her own seven foot tall form. Their wills had been stronger than most, and even still she could feel their minds struggling against her, but they had been no match for a qilin. They were now her pets, perfectly obedient and steadfastly loyal. Disgusting pets to be sure, abominations that she would be happy to put out of their misery the moment they were no longer needed, but useful in a variety of ways.

All eight beasts still had their pink ribbons dangling from their necks. She could have removed them at any time, but it was best to wait. When her score shot up far beyond everyone else, she would become a target, and though she had confidence in her canine bodyguards' ability to protect her, encouraging a confrontation would be an unnecessary risk. Once there were only a few minutes left, and it was too late for anyone to stop her, then she would let them discover how badly they had all lost. They'd no doubt gang up on her in subsequent rounds, but she would already have a commanding lead. Besides, the only real threat would be Ember, and Du Jiao Shou already knew the woman's weakness.

Winning this silly competition would only be the first step, of course. The real goal was to get in close proximity to the ones behind this wicked place, and the winners circle would provide the perfect opportunity. Karakostas himself would be tricky, but she didn't need to go after the dragon first. Human minds weren't that much more difficult to control than animal ones,and even a single success would give her the foothold that she needed to finally bring the Paradisium down.

"Someone approaching at two o'clock," said Zhi Ruo in her ear, her voice holding none of its usual warmth. Supposedly their communications were private, but neither of them believed that for a moment. The Paradisium had nothing to lose by spying, and no morals to hold it back. So until this was long over and they were far from here, Du Jiao Shou and her wife would continue the charade of slave and owner. "Alias Crikey, race unknown."

"Cooee!" called out the newcomer, who turned out to be a short, dark haired woman wearing a koala mask. "Didn't realize there was a party going on over here!" She spoke with a heavy Australian accent and held herself with a relaxed air as she looked over the qilin and her small army of dogs. "Truth be told, I'm a bit more of a cat person meself."

"Meself?" the qilin asked, studying the koala woman. She appeared human, but there were many races capable of hiding their true nature. Du Jaio Shou focused with her horn, trying to use it to reach out and touch her mind, find out what sort of creature she was dealing with, but the woman's pysche slipped out of her grasp. The hounds hadn't completely submitted to her yet, and the active effort required to control them was taxing her abilities.

"Yeah, meself!" answered Crikey . "What, you got a problem with people from Down Under?"

"I have a contextual problem," Du Jiao Shou told her. "Meself is a token of British slang, not Australian."

"Oh," said Crikey, disappointed. "Really?" The accent in her voice vanished completely. "That's what I get for not keeping a closer eye on things; I really thought no one was going to notice. Vinny didn't bat an eye when I told him how much I loved eating shrimp on the barbie." She patted one of the dogs. "I don't suppose I could borrow these boys? Their ribbons, at least?"

"No," the horned woman said. "Now please leave. I have no desire for violence, but I also have no interest in games and will defend myself if necessary."

Crikey laughed, and when she spoke again, the feigned accent was back. "What, me? Pick a fight with a seven foot goliath? Even if you were seven inches, your pups would eat me alive!" She scratched the nearby dog behind the ear. "You'd fuck little Crikey right to death, wouldn't ya?" she teased in a high pitched voice, and then turned back to Du Jiao Shou. "Nah, I ain't big on violence. Prefer to solve my problems peacefully, y'know? Like by asking. May I please have all these nice pink ribbons?"

"No," the qilin said, "and I will not warn you again." She gave the hounds a mental command, and they all began growling. "Please leave."

Crikey held up her hands in a show of surrender. "Alright, alright, can't blame a girl for trying." She began to walk backwards, hands still raised. "One piece of advice though, one gal to another? Entropy's a real kick in the sweetmeats. It's always easier to break something than to build it." She gave a careless flick of a hand, and suddenly all eight of Du Jiao Shou's links to the hounds fell apart like cobwebs before a storm. "Byyyyyyyyye!"

The qilin ignored the kaola girl as she continued strolling away, all her attention on frantically trying to restore her control over the dogs. She had no idea how the girl had done that, but she didn't have time to consider the dilemma. The hounds understood what she had done to them, and she didn't need her mental abilities to feel the rage and bloodlust radiating from all of them. Her horn glowed a brilliant orange as she gathered up all of her remaining power. Using up everything she had in the first round would make the future ones difficult, but she couldn't worry about that right now. She would subdue the beasts, get their ribbons, and then send them off far away, in case that girl came back.

One of the hounds reared its head up and snapped at her, its teeth catching on her horn. The thin, delicate instrument resisted for less than a second before it shattered, and the beast crunched the pieces in its mouth. Du Jiao Shou brought a hand up to her head in stunned horror. He'd... he'd destroyed her... another hound charged into her, sending her sprawling backwards to the ground, onto her thick orange mane. She was surrounded, unable to even see anything but the dark, hideous creatures circling her.

"Ying Yue!" Zhi Ruo shouted, too panicked to remember to use her wife's alias. "Ying Yue, run! You-" There was a sudden barrage of noise in the qilin's ear, and the receiver went silent.

Grief and panic rose up in her, but Ying Yue pushed them aside as she grabbed the front leg of one of her opponents. The creature twisted, trying to pull itself free, but though she abhorred physical violence, she was larger and stronger than any of them. She rolled to the side and threw the beast against the tunnel wall, the creature smashing into it with enough force to crack the cement. It slid down slowly, yellow blood leaking from its shattered frame.

The other seven proved far more difficult. If they'd fought independently, she might have been able to overpower them, but they worked together to keep her subdued. The next time she tried to grab one of them, she nearly lost a hand to the others, and whenever she tried to rise to her feet, one of them was ready to bring her back down again, forcing her to remain on her back. It was a battle of attrition, the beasts slowly wearing her down over long minutes. She fought with everything she had, killing two more of them in the process, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle, one that ended when one of the beasts managed to clamp its jaws around her neck before she could stop it.

Ying Yue froze, steeling herself for the agony of having her throat ripped out. The thought of death was terrifying, and the failure of her mission tragic, but she had known this was a possibility since she and Zhi Ruo had first decided to infiltrate the Paradisium. She would meet her end with honor. But the long teeth, sharp though they were, didn't break the flesh, instead touching it almost daintily. The qilin lay on her back, frozen in anticipation of violence as the beast growled, a low rumbling from its chest that seemed to shake the whole cave. After a second the hound growled again, making her entire body hum along with the vibration of it, and this time the pressure of its fangs increased infinitesimally. It wanted her to do something, but she didn't know what.

Even without her horn, she was still a qilin, and she touched its mind, trying to understand. The creatures had no real language, but they weren't simple animals either, and neither of them needed words to communicate through thought. She saw what it wanted of her, and recoiled. No! She'd rather die! She sent just that to the beast, and a moment later its jaws withdrew. Before her success could provide any relief, though, its mouth closed around the little finger of her left hand. Again its movement was far more precise than she'd ever have expected would be possible of the hulking beast, its teeth tenderly gripping the digit without doing harm.

Then it bit down, and her finger snapped like a twig.

Ying Yue shrieked in pain, and tried to yank her hand away from the hound, but she couldn't do that without ripping her own finger off. Another beast put a greasy paw down on her arm, pinning it in place as the first one released her little finger and cradled her ring finger in its mouth instead. Another crunch that carried with it an explosion of agony. "Please!" she screamed, sending her words mentally as well. "Please stop!" The beast responded with the image of destroying all of her fingers like this, then her toes, then her wrists and ankles, elbows and knees, smashing her body to pieces little by little before they would be ready to feast on her flesh. "Nooooo!" she wailed as its teeth found her middle finger.

It sent back the image of what they wanted, the thought that made her feel sick just to think about. She would much rather die first. But to be tortured, given a slow and agonizing end...?

Ying Yue spread her legs.

The hounds wasted no time. Her arm and finger were released and one of them fell atop her, its weirdly jointed legs allowing it to lower itself to the position it needed for its unsheathed cock to touch her slit. The moment the hound's cock touched her waiting flesh, it rammed its hips violently forward, in one motion impaling her entire pussy on the length of its prick. The qilin, who had never known a lover other than her wife, screamed and lifted her hands to try and push the hideous thing off of her, but the moment she did one of them gripped her finger with its jaws once again. She gave in to the wordless threat, letting her hands drop passively to her side. The four watching animals wagged their tails as they watched, broadcasting a sense of amusement.

Ying Yue laid there, beneath a huge, grotesque hound, feeling like she was being hit by a car every time its weight dropped onto her. With each thrust, its rock hard head would smash into her cervix, making her convulse with nauseating agony. After several minutes of this, she felt something break inside her and the hound's head penetrated her womb, making the too small pocket bulge around it. She howled.as her innermost depths became its punching bag, but when canine teeth found one of her fingers again, she meekly quieted down.

Her breasts and belly were already dark with growing bruises by the time the beast howled and began spraying its cum into her womb, the liquid hot enough to make the sensitive walls blister. When it pulled out, its cock dribbling the last of its cum onto her marred skin, she had no strength or will to do anything but continue laying there, exhausted.

Another hound approached right on the heels of the first, and she was dismayed to see its cock was just as big as the other. It nudged her side with its snout, sending a simple command as it did, and she obediently rolled over for it, too exhausted to consider the implications until its bulbous cock head touched not her slit, which was now red and gaping and leaking cum, but her tight, never touched asshole.

The orange haired woman shrieked as the hound, just like its companion before it, stabbed its entire length into her in one go. The first one had to been too big to fit its whole cock into her pussy, but this one had no such problem with her ass. She felt her organs get viciously shoved to the side to make room for its huge shaft. Then it yanked itself out of her just as quickly, leaving her feeling for a brief moment like a doll with all its stuffing ripped out, before slamming back in. Her body was ground against the cavern floor, breasts crushed and scraped and pounded, as it repeated the violent cycle several times a second.

And then just as suddenly as it had begun, the beast stopped and withdrew, leaving her asshole torn open and bleeding. Ying Yue cried as it told her what it wanted her to do. "Please just kill me," she begged. "Please!" There were no teeth this time, only a low growl from the others. And it was enough. All remaining resistance in her collapsed, and she rose to her knees and reached behind herself to spread her cheeks out with her hands, submitting to the beast as its bitch and offering up her ass to it. It rammed back into her, assraping as her violently as before as she kept her hands in place.

The qilin was so lost in the haze of pain, terror, and humiliation that it took her a moment to notice another hound rubbing its shaft over her face, getting its sticky precum all over her. When it told her what it wanted, she didn't even consider refusing. Ying Yue opened her mouth and began to suck on its cock. It responded with the image of fucking her throat, smashing her teeth down her esophagus as it savaged her in the same manner her other two holes had been taken. She got the message and sucked harder.

After a few minutes of being spitroasted by the two hounds, she heard a voice in her ear. "Hi there, sweetie, this is Vin on a private line. I can see that you're busy, but I just wanted to let you know that we discovered a few... inaccuracies with your paperwork, and as such we've been forced to disqualify you from this year's competition. Now, we know you came all the way out here to have some fun with us, and we feel just terrible, so we're not going to leave you high and dry. We'd like to offer you a position here at the Paradisium as dog trainer, where you'll do, well, exactly what you're doing right now! The boys are so much happier when they have a few bitches to keep them company, and they seem to have taken a real liking to you. What do ya say?" She moaned around the dog cock in her mouth. "Perfect! Consider yourself hired."

The dick she was sucking spurted without warning, shooting its superheated cum against the back of her throat. She gagged, not only at the horrible searing pain, but at the foul slimy taste of it. She'd never tasted anything more disgusting, but when the beast communicated what it would do to her if she spilled its valuable seed, she clamped her lips close around its shaft and desperately slurped down every drop. Before it had finished, the dog in her ass came too, howling in triumph as it buried itself in her guts a final time, and before it sent any message, she reflexively pressed her ass cheeks together to keep its sperm from leaking out as it filled her up.

"Oh, and honey?" said Vin. "We've decided to consider your "owner" for a position at the Paradisium too. I'd let her tell you all about it herself, but she's busy auditioning for it between my legs right now. She's going to have to really impress us if she wants to get hired, but don't worry if she fails; we can always use her as meat instead." Ying Yue sobbed at the knowledge of her wife's fate, but when another hound pressed its cock against her lips she didn't hesitate to open her mouth and start sucking, and when the one coming up behind her sent an image of a litter of squealing puppies, she spread her pussy lips apart with her fingers to invite the beast into her aching womb. Both dogs wagged their tails as they sent back a sense of deep satisfaction, the meaning as clear as day: good bitch.

**********

Vorona had never considered herself claustrophobic before, but these tunnels were making a good argument for it. The dark haired raven flapped her wings irritably, barely able to stretch down here without smacking into cold gray stone.

"There are two more ribbons down the eastern passage," said her father. "Hurry up and get them." He sounded angry, which was no surprise. He was always angry when he talked to her. She looked around for a moment, trying to find the camera he must be watching her with. Unlike the bulky mundane ones they'd used for the interviews, the Paradisium relied on a more magical solution for keeping track of contestants during the game. There was at least one eye attached to each girl, and more free floating to be used when necessary. She'd handled one of them once, and it had been so small she'd almost lost track of it in her palm. Unable to spot it, she shrugged and settled for raising her middle finger in a random direction. He'd know who it was meant for.

Sure enough, he started cursing at her, but she tuned him out. It was a skill she'd had plenty of opportunity to master. Ignoring him always earned her a beating or worse, but so what? It wasn't as though obedience had ever gotten her much better treatment, and he couldn't touch her down here.

Vorona raised her arm and counted her ribbons: nine. Not a bad haul, all things considered. She couldn't take full advantage of her mobility down here, but she knew the dogs well enough to evade them. And more than well enough to know not to risk going after one of those pink ribbons they wore. She'd come across more than one contestant who'd thought she could replicate Ember's feat, and ended up a spunk covered plaything instead. If she listened closely, she could still hear the faint thumping as their temporary owners made full use of them. She felt sorry for the poor girls, but there was nothing she could do for them. Once the dogs got started, they didn't care about anything but cumming as quickly and as often as possible to try and breed their bitches. On the one hand, it meant that once they'd claimed a girl, they wouldn't bother anyone else down here. On the other, anyone trying to get in the way would wind up either dead or mounted.

Vorona wasn't in a hurry to meet either fate. That's why she'd flown herself up to the tallest ceiling she could find and grabbed onto some rocks. A couple times dogs had barked at her from below, some of them trying to jump and get at her feet, but she was well out of their reach. The first round was always the shortest; just another couple hours and she could relax.... as much as a sex slave trapped nearly a mile below the surface in a sadist's playground could relax, that is.

A loud noise on her right caught her attention, and she was surprised to find two of the dogs fighting each other. The first was significantly smaller than the second, but it was managing to hold its own as the two canines tumbled across the floor. The larger dog snarled and tried to sink its teeth into the smaller one's neck, but the animal twisted away and all but ripped off one of its opponent's ears in the process. The gray furred beast seemed to move far more gracefully than any dog she'd seen so far, and it... Vorona started, nearly falling down from the ceiling. Was that a wolf?

It was clear that the hound was physically stronger, but it had nothing on the wolf's speed, or her tenacity. When it left several deep gashes across her face with a rake of its paws, a blow that would've sent one of its own kind skittering away, she didn't even flinch, and soon the blood on her muzzle was all that was left of the wounds. Every further wound the beast managed to inflict on her healed just as quickly.

After a few more exchanges, the dog finally realized that it was outmatched and tried to get away, but the wolf was having none of it. A quick snap of her jaws severed a tendon on its back leg and sent the creature tumbling. The wolf didn't waste the opportunity, pouncing on its back and tearing at it with her fangs and claws. The dog rolled, trying to knock her off, but all it managed to do was expose its vulnerable underbelly to her. Vorona winced and closed her eyes as the wolf went for the kill.

When she opened them a few seconds later, it was over. The dog laid dead on the cavern floor, the wolf panting beside it. Her jaws ripped the pink ribbon from its neck, and now that it was still, Vorona noticed the four blue ribbons already tied to a front leg. "And Moonshine jumps to second with an incredible athletic display!" crowed Emmeck. "We might have found another worthy challenger for Ember... if she can survive the next few minutes, that is!"

It didn't take long to understand what the announcer referring to. Growling heralded the approach of another dog, but it wasn't coming from just one direction. Every one of the branching passageways around them hummed with it, sometimes two or three from the same tunnel. The dogs didn't have any real sense of family, but they frequently formed packs, and this one's had heard their packmate dying and were coming to avenge it.

The wolf's ears flattened against her head and she circled, looking for an escape route. Vorona could tell there wasn't one. The hounds knew how to corner an animal, and they had no intention of letting one that had killed their own get away from them. The first dog appeared from a bend in a passageway, stalking forward with deliberate slow menace; they'd been trained to play with their prey. A second, a third, and a fourth, appeared shortly after. The wolf growled back at them, and their lips parted to let their tongues loll out. The raven recognized the body language: they were laughing at her.

"Finally, a bit of luck," Vorona's father grumbled. "Tanya warned me about that one. Said the sooner the werewolf was eliminated, the better." Vorona watched them slowly close in on the wolf, paying the raven above no attention. She could just stay up here and wait it out. Might even get the chance to snatch up that pink ribbon of hers after she went down and the dogs got busy. It was the safe, sensible and logical choice.

"Hey!" she shouted instead. "You want a little help?" Her father cursed and began yelling at her, which immediately made her feel good about her decision.

The wolf's head snapped up to look at her for a second, golden eyes meeting her own, before lowering to eye the dogs again. There had been no hope or gratitude in those eyes, only suspicion. Her mouth opened, and the voice that came out was a bit raspy but unmistakably feminine, and carried a strong Southern lilt. "In exchange for what?"

"Um, not eating me, I guess?" Vorona said.

The wolf was directly beneath her now, the hounds nearly close enough to pounce as they drew closer. "A ceasefire, you mean?"

"Yeah, one of those! You in?"

The wolf shot her another quick glance. "Suppose I ain't really in a position to refuse, now am I?"

Vorona let go of the ceiling and let herself fall to the ground. She landed on her feet, the impact hard enough to send a jolt running up both her legs. She wobbled and almost fell, putting a hand on the wolf's shoulder to steady herself. Some of the dogs wagged their tails at the sight of her, probably pleased at the prospect of more holes to go around. Being this close to them evoked a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "I'm, uh, I'm gonna feel really, really stupid if this doesn't work," she muttered.

Then the raven put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.

The dogs' reaction was immediate. Tails down, they turned and ran, fleeing in all directions. Before the shrill sound had finishing echoing off the cave walls, Vorona and the wolf were alone. The dark haired woman sagged as the tension left her body all at once. The beasts were all trained to react that way, but the whistling was only effective at a very narrow pitch and duration, and she hadn't practiced it in weeks. That had been reckless, even for her.

"Well..." said Emmeck, sounding confused. "That was... I'm not certain what we just saw there, folks, but it was certainly impressive! Our bookmakers gave Vorona decent marks, but it looks like they might have underestimated the girl. I imagine there are quite a few people out there kicking themselves for not putting down more money on our fine feathered friend!"

"You... really did it," said the wolf slowly, sounding like she still didn't believe it.

"Uh huh," said Vorona, some of the uneasy feeling returning as she reconsidered the fact that the two of them were now alone. "So, ceasefire, right? Nobody tries to eat anybody?"

The wolf's body contorted unnaturally, limbs shifting and fur receding, and then there was a brown haired woman in a wolf mask standing there instead, with fair skin and a lean, sinewy frame. She scrubbed her mouth with the back of her arm and turned her head to spit out some blood. "Not unless you ask nicely, hon," she said, her voice smoother and calmer now. She held out a hand. "Name's Moonshine, by the way."

"Vorona," said the raven, taking the woman's hand. "I've never met a werewolf before. Does it hurt doing that?"

"Only as much as someone breaking every bone in your body while ripping all your hair out by the roots," said Moonshine dryly. "You get used to it. And I've never met a..." She looked the raven up and down.

"Alkonost," Vorona lied.

"Never met an alkonost before, so I guess we're even." She grinned at the raven behind her mask, her hazel eyes sparkling "Do all alkonosts make a habit of rescuing damsels in distress? Or is that just you?"

Vorona felt her cheeks grow hot. "If I ever meet one, I'll ask. I just..." She shrugged. "You were in trouble...... aaaaand I knew it would piss off a lot of people watching." Her father in particular, who was still ranting.through her earpiece. "Everybody up there wants us all to be at each other's throats. It's crazy. I'm not going to stand by and let other people get killed or worse just for some meaningless points."

"They ain't meaningless to everyone," Moonshine said, her grin fading. "Most people woulda happily left me to rot, and I can't say I'd blame 'em for it."

"It's no big deal," Vorona insisted. "You probably would've done the same for me if our positions were reversed."

The werewolf hesitated. "I don't know about that, hon. When I was younger, before all of..." - she waved her hands in the air - "this, sure, but now? I'd like to think I still would, but... to be honest, I hope I never get the chance to find out." She shook her head. "Seriously, thank you."

"We should get moving," Vorona said. "The whistle drove them away, but they'll be back soon, and I don't know if it'll work again."

"I still don't know why it worked the first time," Moonshine said. "There some trick to it?"

"Something like that," Vorona said. It was bad enough having her father complaining nonstop in one ear; she was in no hurry to discuss her family situation. She wasn't sure what she was going to do if the brunette pushed the issue, but Moonshine simply nodded, accepting that it wasn't something she wanted to talk about.

"Well, whatever it was," she said, "I'm grateful. You didn't just save my hide, you went and put your own at risk too, jumping down like that."

"Couldn't be helped, I... had to..." Vorona trailed off. She looked back up at the ceiling, and then down to the floor.

"...you didn't need to jump down to do that, did you?" Moonshine asked.

"It... felt like the right thing to do at the time," Vorona said weakly.

The werewolf laughed, and after a moment Vorona joined her. "I like you," the brunette said when she'd recovered. "You're good people. Stay safe out there, okay? Not a whole lotta good people around, down here or up there." Her form shifted again, and the gray wolf padded away down one of the tunnels.

Vorona watched her until she was out of sight. "Wipe that stupid smile off your face and move," her father growled. "You have a job to do here." Vorona reflexively flipped him off again, but she headed down the eastern passage to seek out the two ribbons he'd told her about. She wouldn't have so strong an advantage next round, so she might as well make use of it while she could.

The raven hoped that the other woman would still be there when the round was over. She couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt as she replayed the conversation in her head. Her actions hadn't been quite as selfless as Moonshine had made them out to be. It wasn't really that tempting to try and steal the wolf's ribbons from her. They were even more worthless to her than they were for everybody else.

After all, unlike them, she wasn't here to win.

**********

Time passed. Emmeck continued excitedly narrating the events of the competition as Ginger sat and watched her arms slowly heal. The irony that anyone else could have simply gotten up and walked away on two legs wasn't lost on her. For the first hour she expected another hound to find her at any minute, but it seemed that the scent of their companion's corpse was keeping them away. Five more women were caught and savaged by the animals while Ginger waited, growing angrier with each passing minute. So what if it was just a stupid game? So what if winning meant nothing? This was the closest she'd felt to being free since Levinson. The closest she'd probably ever come to feeling like more than a furry fucktoy. And she was spending it as a useless lump.

According to Emmeck, there was only half an hour left when her frustration overcame her sense and she began to shuffle forward on her knees, both of her arms still far too weak to support her weight. "Dear!" Mrs Wilmingshire said. "I think Ginger is making a go of it again."

"Oh, so she is," said Mr. Wilmingshire. "Good girl, sweetums! Do you think she still has a chance?"

"I don't see why not," said his wife. "She only needs one ribbon to stay in the game, right? And look at the map, there's one right over there nobody has touched. I'm sure she can get there if she tries."

"Ginger, can you hear me?" asked Mr Wilmingshire. "There's a ribbon that's sort of down and left from you. You're going to want to, um, cut across a few times, and then zig zag through... hmm, it's a bit hard to explain. You're always better than me at directions, Jessica."

"Welll..." Mrs Wilmingshire said doubtfully. "Why don't we try doing hot and cold? Colder, colder... that's it, warmer, warm-no no, colder, yes, warmer, hmm, I suppose you're going to have to get a bit colder and then warmer...oh bother, I can't do this!" The receiver went silent.

Ginger continued shuffling forward on her knees, slowly moving through the tunnels and choosing her path at random. Her pace was slow, and she was more likely to be headed farther away from what she wanted than closer, but she continued. Just for now, just for these thirty minutes left until she was eliminated, she could pretend that she was more than cute, simple Ginger. She could feel a little like herself again.

"Go right," said a new voice in her ear, familiar and cold. Celeste? Ginger had no time to think about it, quickly shuffling into the right hand passage. "Follow the left wall for the next three intersections," said the woman, her voice impassive. Ginger followed the woman's precise instructions.

"The master and mistress seemed somewhat distressed," Celeste said. "I have offered my services. The downward passage, then straight ahead." She paused. "The path branches after that. If you go left, there is a high probability that you will encounter one of the guard dogs currently patrolling on an east-west vector. If you go right instead, you will avoid him, but the distance you will need to travel is likely greater than you could proceed in the time allotted. I will leave the choice to you."

The dangerous route or the safe route. The correct decision was obvious. Injured arms or not, she'd already been amazingly lucky to get away from the dogs the first time. Only a complete idiot would put herself back into that kind of danger just to win a silly game. Right was the only sane choice.

Ginger turned left. If this was it, at least she'd know she tried.

"Very well," Celeste said, and Ginger almost thought there was a hint of approval in her tone as she supplied the next set of directions.

**********

Qarinah moaned, rocking back and forth on her knees as the hound came inside the dark haired, dusky skinned woman again. How many times had he used her now? Twenty seven? Twenty eight? All day long the beast had mounted her again and again. And she loved him for it.

For the first two hours, he'd been wonderfully relentless, still rock hard inside her even after cumming. It had taken sixteen loads before his endurance began to falter, his thick rod growing soft after his pleasure. She had not minded, or faulted him for his lack. On the contrary, she had been delighted the first time it happened, eager for the chance to repay him for all he'd done.

By now the hound anticipated what was going to happen, and once his dick slipped out of her still clenching slit he rolled over to lay on his side. Qarinah turned around and crawled to him with a smile on her face. "Good boy," she told him as she nuzzled his manhood, wishing she didn't have this silly lion mask in the way . "Such a good hardworking boy." She began to lap him, savoring the taste of their combined juices.

The first few times, his response to her tongue had been nearly instantaneous, but it was taking longer and longer now to get him hard again. She didn't mind, though. To lick and suck him was its own kind of pleasure, and the dark haired woman hummed a happy mindless tune as she enjoyed her task.

After about fifteen minutes of her tender care, the beast began to harden in her mouth, but his movements had slowed and his head drooped with fatigue, and she realized with a tinge of regret that this would be his final load. Her fingers lightly played with his balls as she took him deeper into her mouth. She had taken him in both of her lower holes, but never her throat, and it would be a shame to miss her chance.

His plump shaft felt incredible stuffing her gullet, and she used a hand to stroke the bulge in her neck, delighting in the way her indirect touch made him pulse and quiver. She couldn't breathe like this, but that was one of the best parts of taking a man in her throat. It was only with great reluctance that she pulled back each time, drawing just a single quick breath to keep her conscious before eagerly swallowing him back up.

As his warm, gooey cum began to fill her belly, Qarinah purred in pleasure around him. She kept her lips tightly sealed and sucked hard, determined not to waste a single drop of him. By the time she'd wrung out the last of it, she was amused to find the huge beast already asleep and snoring softly.

“Shall we call it there?” Muhtadi asked through her receiver, “or should I see if I can find you another one?”

The black haired woman in the lion mask shook her head. These creatures were amazing, but there was less than half an hour left, which wasn’t anywhere near enough time to properly make love to another. It would be positively cruel to tease one of them like that. No, best to be getting on. She gently extricated herself from the hound, careful not to disturb his slumber. She just as carefully untied the pink ribbon around his neck before tying it around her wrist. She didn’t particularly care about the points, but it would be a shame to be eliminated before getting to enjoy everything this game had to offer. Qarinah gave her lover a soft kiss on his forehead and slipped away.

**********

"Only teeeeeen minutes left!" said Emmeck. "Ember still holds the lead with twenty one points! And on the other side, twelve contestants are struggling to remain in the game. Let's all cheer for them, folks!"

The caves were a twisting, incomprehensible maze to Ginger, but Celeste seemed to know exactly where to go, and kept her supplied with directions. "Continue straight for the next seven intersections," she said eventually. "At your current pace, it will take roughly six minutes. In the meantime, has anyone explained the nature of the Paradisium Game to you?" The fox shook her head. "I suspected as much. Very well. As your temporary handler, it is my duty to instruct you so that you can perform adequately for the master and mistress. The game takes place over five days and five rounds, with contestants competing to accumulate points in the form of ribbons. In each round, the worst performing contestants will be eliminated from the competition, until the final round where a winner is decided."

Calling it elimination made it sound like something formal and civilized, but Ginger didn't need Celeste to tell her what it entailed. Being eliminated meant staying down here until the game was over. Four days straight trapped in these tunnels with the monster dogs... she had no desire to find out what that would be like.

"There are two criteria for elimination. The first is to possess the lowest score at the end of any given round. The second is to fail to obtain any points during a given round. Due to the contestants that are currently incapacitated and will score zero points, that means both can be avoided in this current round by collecting at least one ribbon. Between rounds, violence is prohibited, as is theft of ribbons, but while the clock is running all conduct is allowed, up to and including murder. The only exception is acts viewed as attempts to escape, which are punishable by death."

Murder? Slaves would murder each other for the sake of some silly game? ...Of course they would. Ginger had witnessed time and again how easily she was blamed for her faults, as though every mistake was a deliberate act of rebellion, and the Wilmingshires seemed more lenient than most, outside of their rules. If she was here on the behalf of someone like Levinson, and she knew that he would be furious with her for taking anything less than first place... she wished she could believe that she wouldn't sink so low as to kill an innocent, but centuries spent bearing the hunger of a gumiho had taught her she was more than capable of it.

"It's down to the final two minutes!" said Emmeck. 'But there are still ribbons out on the floor! Don't miss your chance, girls!"

"Miss Ginger," said Celeste sharply a moment later, cutting through the fox's thoughts, "the guard appears to have noticed you." Ginger's own nose confirmed her words a moment later, as the acrid scent of the hound reached her. "It is approaching your location. You cannot outdistance it at your current speed." The smell grew stronger, and she heard the clacking of nails again before she caught movement in the corner of her eye from a side passage. She recoiled, expecting another hound, but it was one of the other slaves, a woman with alabaster white skin and a monkey mask. She didn't spare a glance at Ginger as she ran along the same course Celeste had set, easily outpacing the fox. It was very much like the situation between her and White Hart at the beginning of the round, except that this time it was Ginger who would be sacrificed to help the other survive.

Ginger cursed her slow movement as the hound caught up and the woman pulled away. If she could just run, she might have a chance...

"Miss Ginger," said Celeste sternly, as though reading her mind. "The master and mistress have given you strict orders to behave as an animal. You are not to speak, you are not to stand, and you are certainly not to run. They have not ceased those orders, and I would never advise you to do anything that went against their wishes. However..." Her voice softened, just a little. "The master, the mistress, and myself are not in a position to enforce those orders at the moment. Were you to disobey, we would be unable to stop you."

"One more minute!" said Emmeck. "Those dogs down there are getting frisky! They know it's almost their turn to have some fun!"

Ginger looked down at herself. The woman was right. There was no one here to make her follow the Wilmingshire's silly rules. No one but herself. But that didn't matter. She hadn't disobeyed an order since... not since her escape attempt at the camp. That was the last time she had entertained the slightest hint of rebellion. Fighting back had never gotten her anywhere, done nothing but make her more miserable than ever.

Obedience was different. Obedience had made everything better. Being Ginger was a safe and familiar prison. She had done her best to abandon everything she'd ever known and become the furry fucktoy all of her owners thought of her as. The process had not been quick, simple, or painless, and she'd had to fight for it every step of the way. She'd had to mercilessly crush every spark of life inside of her, remind herself day in and day out that she was nothing more than this. And for the most part, it had worked. Despair was an easier burden to carry when you knew hope was a waste of time. Abuse didn't feel as bad when you knew that you deserved it. Life was so much simpler once you understood that you were worthless trash, and that being humiliated and raped was as natural and appropriate as sleeping and eating.

Was she really going to throw all that hard work away? And for what? To try and return to her old self? All she’d ever accomplished as a gumiho was bringing pain and death to people who didn’t deserve it. And as a kitsune she'd failed everyone who'd ever cared about her. At least as a fucktoy she’d managed to make some people happy. If it hadn’t taken her so long to accept how pathetic she truly was, if she’d just been a good fox slut for Levinson from the beginning like she was supposed to, Morris would still be alive.

It was a familiar sentiment, but for once it didn't have its usual sting. It wasn't that she didn't grieve for the man. But for the first time she found herself wondering: was his death really her fault? He had known the risks when he made his choices. That wasn't to say he was stupid or wrong for making them, just that it was disrespectful to act like he'd had no will of his own. He had chosen to help her, and he wouldn't want her to hate herself for that.

The dog had nearly caught up to her. She could feel it right behind her, and knew that any moment now it would get close enough to spring forward and bring her down. But its presence hardly seemed important right now. The brutal rape it represented was nothing compared to the pain that she was considering inflicting on herself despite everything she'd learned over the last year. What would Morris want from her? The answer came immediately to her, as loud and clear as thunder. He would want her to fight. He would want her to run. He'd wanted it badly enough to give up his life for it.

Was that reason enough to try? To her surprise, she realized that it was. The dying wish of a man she'd barely known shouldn't have meant much to her, but it did. She couldn't rewind time and save him. She couldn't make his death anything more than a meaningless tragedy. But she could at least respect what he'd tried to accomplish. This was going to be a mistake, as bad as any she'd ever made, but just this once, for a little while, she'd pretend she could be more than what she was. In his memory.

Seo-yun stood.

Her legs wobbled at the unfamiliar position, but after a couple shaky steps she developed a more natural rhythm. The cave walls streaked by, the sound of her own footsteps echoing in her ears, at she rejoiced at the forgotten feeling of speed. The hound behind her growled, displeased with losing ground on its prey. Seo-yun closed in on the woman ahead of her as the cavern appeared up ahead. There was the ribbon, wrapped around a small backpack.

Vin Emmeck was counting down the last few seconds as both slaves sprinted into the cavern, Seo-yun now right behind the monkey woman and the monster dog following them both. The other woman was dashing towards the pack, but Seo-yun crouched low and dived forward instead, her injured arms outstretched.

"And that's the end of round one, folks!" Emmeck said. "Haven't these girls all done great? Let's give them a hand!"

Seo-yun's heart thudded as she rolled across the ground, the pack between her protesting arms. Had she made it in time? She found out the answer when the albino woman moaned and collapsed to the floor, limbs twitching weakly. Seo-yun immediately thought of the jackal, but the woman's mask didn't seem to be suffocating her. In fact, after a few seconds, it crumbled just like the jackal's had, leaving behind a pretty girl with tears in her eyes who all but vanished from sight as the massive hound mounted her. She let out a weak, mournful cry, buried beneath all its weight, as it began humping furiously, its thick red cock appearing and disappearing inside her.

"Round one was the limit for fourteen of our contestants!" Emmeck announced. "Six of them were already entertaining our pups, and the other eight are feeling a liiiiiittle bit sleepy right about now." He laughed. "Don't worry, the paralysis will wear off after a little while. Those good boys of ours deserve active squirmy fucktoys, after all. Those girls will spend the remaining four days of the competition being man's best friend's best fuckholes. And you're not going to believe this, folks, but remember sweet little Ginger, our uniquely talented Miss Yip Yip? She's beaten the odds and made it through round one! On the flip side, our favorite phoenix leads the pack with twenty two points, with Storm Hag in close second and Vorona trailing farther behind in third. We'll find out tomorrow if Ember can maintain her lead, or if we see the beginning of a stunning upset!"

Emmeck was still talking, but another voice cut in through the receiver, male and bored. "All active contestants converge at the elevator. Any contestant not within the rest area in forty five minutes will be locked out and disqualified."

"Exit the cavern using the ascending passage and then turn left," ordered Celeste. Seo-yun slung the backpack over the shoulder and obeyed, her eyes still on the woman being raped. The dog howled triumphantly as yellowish cum ran out the woman's cunt and down her alabaster white legs, its cock still rock hard and thrusting madly.

Celeste led her down the long and winding path to the freight elevator. Once she got there, Seo-yun understood what the man had meant about a rest area. The elevator doors were open, and so was the back wall of the shaft, revealing a small barracks like set of rooms behind it. There was an open area with chairs and couches, a long room filled with rows of cots, a pair of bathrooms, and even a small kitchen. Some of the women were already sleeping, and most of the others were in the public room, though no one seemed all that talkative.

"We are being asked to retire for the night," Celeste said. "I will contact you again in the morning." The receiver went silent.

As the remaining stragglers arrived, Seo-yun was shocked at how much smaller the group already looked. They'd lost nearly a third of everyone, and she had a feeling that the next rounds might be even more severe. Though everyone here had succeeded in getting points, their results were extremely disparate. About ten of them, including Ember, had more than ninety points between them. A few of the others had two or three, but most were like Ginger and had made it through with a single solitary point. Vin Emmeck was an obnoxious blowhard, but the fox was starting to see what he'd meant when he mentioned finding out who the "real" contestants were.

The forty five minutes were almost up when another masked woman emerged from a tunnel. It was the one called Storm Hag, the green skinned woman in the shark mask. She was festooned with ribbons, and carried a machete comfortably in one hand, the blade dripping with yellow blood. "You getting scared yet, Ember?" she called out, as she sauntered towards the elevator. "Your little trick with the dog is the only reason you're still in first right now. I'm faster than you, I'm stronger than you, and I'm hungrier than you." She stopped just outside the elevator doors. "Why don't you come out here so we can cut to the chase? We've still got a couple minutes left; plenty of time to settle this here and now."

Everyone's attention was on her, waiting to see if Ember would accept her challenge. But as the seconds ticked by, there was no sign of the phoenix. Finally Storm Hag laughed scornfully. "The great and powerful Ember's a coward, huh? What a fucking joke. Alright, bitch, we'll do this the hard way and stretch your humiliation out over the next few days. You'd better sleep well tonight, little firebird, because soon you're gonna be having nightmares about me every time you-" The elevator doors closed in her face.

A few of the watching women giggled.

"All contestants should now be in the rest area," said the bored voice in Seo-yun's ear. "Any contestants not in the rest area will be locked out until tomorrow morning. You have three hours until lights out. You have eleven hours until wake up call. While in the rest area, violence and theft are not permitted, and are grounds for potential permanent disqualification."

There was a pair of small windows on the doors, and Storm Hag tapped her machete against one of them. "What the hell is this?" she asked, annoyed, and then raised her voice. "Hey! Someone open the damn doors back up! This ain't funny!"

Seo-yun smelled spoiled meat, and the sound of growling began to drift in from five different tunnels.

"Seriously, you fucking idiots!" Storm Hag yelled. "So what if I was a couple seconds late? This ain't some random pissant nobody out here, I'm in second place! You seen the betting windows lately? Only round one and they're already giving me almost even odds against that the fire cunt." The growling grew louder, and it came from eight different tunnels now.

"Fine then!" she snapped, an undercurrent of tension in her voice. "Don't blame me for breaking your fucking door!" She swung the machete at the window, and it bounced off harmlessly. She gritted her teeth and swung again, and even through the door, Seo-yun could feel the raw power behind the blow. The machete snapped cleanly in half without leaving a mark.

Dogs started coming out of the tunnels, forming a loose circle. Seo-yun could see the hunger in their eyes. There were fourteen other women out there, paralyzed or already half fucked to death, but there were far more than fourteen dogs roaming this maze. The other women were probably already surrounded and claimed, and if this pack wanted a bitch of their own to spend the next four days with, the shark woman was their last option.

Nobody was giggling anymore as Storm Hag began to pound on the elevator doors with her fists. "Let me in!" she screamed. "You can't do this to me! Don't you know who I am?! I'm the one whose gonna snuff out Em-" The first hound crashed into her, slamming her up against the doors. Face pressed against one of the windows, Storm Hag stared at the watching women in horror, the doors rattling violently with each thrust into her. "You... can't..." she gasped. The beast fucked her hard and fast, like it was trying to smash her to a pulp against the elevator.

Seo-yun looked around for the elevator controls. Opening the doors wouldn't be the smartest idea, but it was better than doing nothing. Her efforts were in vain though: they weren't even standing in the elevator itself, just the empty shaft, the car itself somewhere in the darkness above them. The metal walls around them had no buttons or other means to operate the doors. A few of the other women tried to force them open, but they had no more success than Storm Hag had. The green haired woman in the dragon mask tried the longest, but even she eventually gave up.

The shark woman kept fighting and struggling as the beast used her, but its weight and physical strength gave it the clear advantage. It battered her like a rag doll, slamming her repeatedly against the unforgiving doors with enough force to make the ground shake. She was still struggling when the beast howled and its cum began to run down her legs. Storm Hag shuddered when it popped free of her, but before she could even begin to turn around to fight back or flee, a second dog had taken its place, fucking the trapped woman with as much ferocity as the first.

By the time the second dog finished using her, Storm Hag looked haggard and weak, all of her arrogance replaced with exhaustion and fear. "Please..." she managed hoarsely, her face, chest, and throat bruised after being bashed against the elevator so many times. "I'm... isn't fair... not supposed to... be like this..." By the time the third dog was done, she was shaking, barely able to stay on her feet. When the fourth pulled out, she simply crumpled to the ground in a heap. The beast lifted one leg, and the woman was too tired to react as it pissed all over her back, marking her as the pack's property.

Yet another one immediately pounced, and the green skinned woman's angry, humiliated scream told Seo-yun that it wasn't her cunt getting fucked this time. Some life returned to her, but it wasn't enough to stop the animal from eagerly raping her ass, pounding the woman's backside like it wanted to turn her inside out. Storm Hag began begging when it forced its knot into her, but her wailing pleas only seemed to spur the beast on. When it was done, it too pissed on her, most of it ending up in her now distended asshole. By the time her guts had been violated as many times as her pussy, she was barely twitching in response to the abuse, but the pack was nowhere near done.

It took the dogs more than thirty minutes to all fuck and mark Storm Hag. Some made use of her cunt, others her ass, but all of them took the time to piss on her. Even the first three, the ones that had raped her in a standing position, circled around to empty their bladders on her prone body. By the time all the dogs had used her, there was no trace of the confident, powerful fighter that had been there earlier. The cum filled, piss soaked fucktoy was just a broken, weeping mess now. One of the dogs grabbed her hair in its teeth, and the pack vanished down one tunnel, dragging their new bitch with them.

"Good riddance," said Ember, and Seo-yun jumped, turning around to see the flame haired phoenix right behind them, calmly watching the scene. "There's a loudmouth like her every year."

Seo-yun glared at the woman. How could she be so heartless? The green skinned woman hadn't seemed particularly friendly, but she had been a slave like the rest of them. A victim. They shouldn't hate each other, or gloat over their degradation.

Ember glared right back. "You got a problem with something, Yip Yip?" she asked. Seo-yun grit her teeth, unable to respond without humiliating herself. "Yeah, that's what I thought." The phoenix looked down at the fox's arms, which were now merely heavily scarred. "And here I was doing you a favor. If you think Storm Bitch has it bad just because she's making friends with a few overgrown mutts, you're not going to be happy when you see the remaining rounds. They change what's what every time, but one thing is always the same: the longer you last, the worse it is to fail." She looked around contemptuously. "By the time this is all over, most of you will be wishing you could've traded places with that moron out there. The rest of you will be dead."

**********

Vorona was relieved to find Moonshine safe and sound in the common room. "You made it!" she said, letting out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Inwardly she winced. She hadn't meant to sound quite so happy about it. The woman would probably find it creepy.

"Barely," the wolf said, sounding distracted as she stared at the ribbons on her arm. She'd scored better than a lot of the other women, but it looked like she'd still fallen short of Vorona by several points, and Ember by further still. Then she shook her head and smiled. "It's good to see you too, sugar." If Vorona's emotional display of happiness had bothered her, she gave no sign of it. "You save any more damsels since the last time I saw you?"

The raven blushed. "No, I, uh, no." God, she sounded like such an idiot right now. 

The werewolf laughed, but there was nothing mean behind it. "What's wrong, hon? You looked less scared of me when you thought I might try to eat you!" She patted the couch cushion next to her. "Why don't you sit down? Relax a little."

Vorona gratefully took her advice. "I, um..." She took a deep breath. "I don't have much experience with people who don't, y'know, hate me." Dealing with assholes like her father was easy. Even interacting with someone as terrifying as her sister still followed simple patterns of obedience, humiliation, and pain. Usually the most positive relationship she could form with anyone was one of pure indifference. Kindness was unfamiliar territory, and it left the normally boisterous girl feeling shy and tongue tied.

"Yeah," Moonshine said wistfully, "certainly know what that's like." She pushed some of her hair away from her eyes, her expression distant.

The raven knew that she should just let the conversation end there. It would be the best for both of them. She shouldn't push her luck, shouldn't say another word, definitely shouldn't say what she wanted to say right now... her mouth opened before she could stop herself. "Hey, do you, um..." She gestured vaguely towards the kitchen area. "We've got a few hours before bed. Do you wanna, like... hang out until then?"

Moonshine blinked, her eyes refocusing on the dark haired woman. "Vee, are you asking me out on a date?" she asked, her smile returning.

"Yeah, I guess," said Vorona, trying to sound casual, like this wasn't the very first time she'd tried anything like this. There weren't a lot of dating prospects when you grew up in a research lab.

The werewolf was looking at her in a way that made Vorona acutely aware that they were both naked and sweaty. "Count me in, hon," she said. "What were you thinking, dinner and a movie? Couple rounds of mini golf?" Moonshine's tone was mischievous, but her eyes were gentle as she slipped an arm behind the raven, her skin smooth and warm against her bare back. "Trip to the planetarium maybe?" The wolf leaned her head in, and Vorona met her halfway. She tasted of salt and blood, but her lips were soft and welcoming.

Vorona didn't know how long the kiss lasted, but when it ended, both of them were panting a little. "I'm sure we'll figure something out," the dark haired woman breathed, and they kissed again.

"Mmm hmmm," Moonshine agreed, lips still pressed against hers.

**********

Everyone scattered in the aftermath of Storm Hag's rape. Seo-yun visited the kitchen and found it only lightly stocked with prepackaged meals. There were signs warning against taking more than one, presumably to prevent someone from hoarding food and starving the others. Seo-yun warmed up her allotted meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and jell-o, reminding herself that she should be grateful to eat something normal for once, but deep down she wished she hadn't left that box of crackers behind.

The food was plain and tasteless as she sat and picked at it in the lounge, but in truth, she was nearly giddy with joy, even after that horrible scene outside. She was sitting in a chair! And when she was done with her food she would get to stand up and walk! They were such small, simple things, but they made her feel alive in a way she hadn't felt since the forest. She reflected on how ironic it was to be delighted doing things that she never would have done as a fox. Perhaps spending so long in human form was starting to change her.

As she ate, her arms fully healed by now, she was pleasantly surprised to see that Betty had made the cut, though the cat too sported only a single ribbon. She was less happy that Snowflake, the woman who'd laughed at her humiliation earlier, had not only made it, but had twelve ribbons of her own. The selkie glanced at Seo-yun's one ribbon as she walked by, and even through the mask the fox had no trouble seeing her sneer.

Once she was done eating, Seo-yun took the time to examine the backpack she'd found. It was a very plain design, little more than a sack with straps attached, but it might come in handy. She had a feeling that there weren't going to be any clothes to be found anywhere down here, which made options for carrying things without needing the use of your hands limited.

She wasn't the only one who'd brought back something. From the sound of it, most of the ribbons had come attached to useless garbage, but several women carried simple tools or weapons that they hadn't possessed before, and received more than a few jealous looks from the others. Seo-yun wilted a bit when she saw some envious glances at her pack too, and did what she could to cover it from view. Just because they were all slaves like her didn't mean that she was safe with them. Ember had taught her that lesson painfully well out in the tunnels.

There was still about an hour before lights out when Seo-yun went into one of the bathrooms to prepare for bed. It was a small utilitarian room with a tiled floor, holding just a toilet, a shower, and a sink. In sharp contrast to the splendor of the palace above, and the detailed construction of the caves, everything in the rest area looked remarkably cheap, and the bathrooms were no exception. The sink leaked, and the shower drain was already clogged with hair and fur. But the bathroom's poor condition couldn't stop her from grinning in pleasure at getting to sit on a toilet for once.

She was still seated when the door opened and Ember of all people came in, shutting and locking the door behind her. The fox looked up at her in shock, the heat of the phoenix's presence quickly warming up the tiny space. "Here's the thing, Yip Yip," the flame haired woman said softly. "I've decided I like that backpack of yours. So you're going to give it to me."

It took Seo-yun a moment to process what she'd just heard. The champion of the Paradisium, the woman everyone treated as some larger than life legend, was not only alone with her in the bathroom, she was trying to make her give up what was arguably her only possession in the world. And not long ago, she would have done it without question. Following orders was what she did, after all, and usually they were far crueler than this. But it didn't seem right. Seo-yun had witnessed for herself how incredible Ember was. And here she was, just a four tailed pet fucktoy who didn't know what she was doing. Why did the woman need to keep pushing her down like this?

Trembling, Seo-yun clutched the pack in her hands tightly and shook her head. It was hers, and she wasn't going to just give it up.

"No?" the phoenix asked, stepping a little closer, close enough that the heat of her flames grew uncomfortable. "And what would you do if I just took it, huh? You're too pathetic to even tell anyone about it. No, you're going to give it to me, and I'll tell you why. First, because you owe me. You'd have spent the last few hours, and the rest of the damn week, getting pumped full of canine spunk if I hadn't shown up when I did. And second, because if you don't, I will make tomorrow hell for you. The girl on girl fighting doesn't usually start in earnest until about round three, but I can make an exception this time. And if you think your little healing trick will be enough to beat me, think again." She stepped even closer, her mask right up against Seo-yun's, staring into the fox's eyes. "I don't like to kill people if I can help it, but someone as durable as you makes things nice and easy for me, don't you? I could make you burn, Yip Yip, and do it guilt free."

Seo-yun stared back into the phoenix's eyes, and saw... "Samantha?" she asked, the word coming out before she could stop herself.

Ember's reaction was immediate and violent. She slammed Seo-yun against the back of the toilet with one hand, pinning her there, and with the other produced the beast fang from seemingly out of nowhere and brought it up to the fox's neck. "Who the fuck told you that name?"

"I... I have no idea," Seo-yun whispered. "I just... you're Samantha, aren't you?"

"Is this some game of Master Sindak's?" Ember hissed. "A test to see how I'll react? Or are you just stupid enough to try and blackmail me?" The tip of the fang pressed harder against Seo-yun's throat, beginning to draw blood. "Girls kill themselves in here all the time," she whispered. "Go into the bathroom and never come out. When they find your body, nobody will question that this was all just too much for the poor little fox." Seo-yun tried to struggle, but the woman was far stronger than her, and she didn't accomplish anything but widening the wound on her neck.

Both women flinched as someone pounded on the bathroom door. "There's thirty of us and two bathrooms," came an angry shout. "Hurry up!"

Ember didn't let up, and for a second Seo-yun was convinced the woman was going to keep going, but then she cursed and the pressure vanished. "This isn't over, Yip Yip," she whispered harshly. She yanked open the door with a violent gesture that made it bang against the wall, and the woman waiting on the other side let out a panicked squeak when she saw who she'd been yelling at. "We'll continue this soon," she promised darkly, and stalked away without another word. The other woman followed behind her, stammering apologies.

Only after she was gone did it finally hit Seo-yun that she'd been talking, and her insides clenched with sudden terror at the realization. The Wilmingshires couldn't be watching right now, could they? She felt dizzy and lightheaded. She sat on the toilet for a minute longer, hoping her mind would clear, but she only seemed to feel worse with every passing minute. Her head pounded, and her stomach was threatening to reject everything she'd put into it. What was going on? How and why was Sam here?

She had to get out of here. Any minute now the woman might come back and try to finish the job. Seo-yun slowly stood up, even the cautious movement making her head whirl, and winced at the pain in her neck. The place where Ember, where Samantha had stabbed her still hurt. It... she stared at herself in the mirror, stunned by what she saw. No. No, that wasn't right...

Seo-yun lifted one of her hands up. She was just tired and scared and it was making her see things. She'd prove it. Her fingers shook as she pressed a thumbnail against the palm, hard enough to draw a thin red of line of blood.

Just like the wound in her neck, it didn't heal.


	6. Trapped

Ember was nowhere to be seen when Seo-yun stumbled out of the bathroom. Some of the girls had gone to sleep and the rest were gathered in the lounge area. Many of them were watching the television mounted on the wall, where Vin Emmeck's smiling face was currently plastered. "In a surprise upset that has left the bookies scrambling, fan favorite Storm Hag has gone from most promising challenger to doggy chew toy," he was saying. "With me now is her owner. What was your reaction to today's fabulous match, Mr Christos?"

"What do you think?" growled the heavyset Greek standing next to him. "Do you have any idea how many millions, millions, I invested in that sodden twat? And she goes and fucks it all up!" He spat on the ground.

"Yes, you win some, you lose some," Emmeck said glibly. "But you know, there's always next year!"

Christos spat again. "Not for her. I already told the bitch: she is done. I tolerated her attitude before because I thought she might actually be worth something, but I have no use for an uppity slave that can't even perform. She had better hope those filthy mutts really love pounding her green cunt, because once they get bored of her, she is meat."

"Well, it's not the outcome anyone expected," said Emmeck, back to addressing the camera, "but that's all part of the excitement! Next we're going to talk to the esteemed Dr. Olivieira, who has been running computational models to try and forecast the winner, and see how today's data has affected his results."

"Do we really have to keep listening to this blabbermouth?" complained the raven woman, who sat on one of the couches with her legs splayed. "It's bad enough getting ear fucked by him while we're playing."

"There's no remote, hon," said a light skinned woman in a wolf mask. She sat beside the raven, one hand resting on the woman's knee. "And no buttons on the thing either."

"Oh, that the only reason we're all watching this garbage?" the raven asked, standing. She looked around. "Anyone have a problem with me turning it off? No?" Her elbow crunched into the television, and it flickered and sputtered out. She shrugged as she returned to the couch and gave the wolf a quick kiss. It was slightly awkward thanks to their masks, but they seemed to be used to it by now. "Who needs a remote?"

"That was not wise," said the dragon, who sat crosslegged in a chair. "They wanted us to watch. They will be unhappy that you have defied them."

"And I'm unhappy being the cocksleeve for an ugly, abusive piece of shit," replied the raven. "They'll deal, Delphyne."

"You wanna trade?" asked the koala masked woman named Crikey. "I keep telling mine about this great new invention called toothpaste, but the poor sod don't ever believe me."

"Mine has the same problem with toilet paper," said the wolf dryly.

"Yours too?" asked another woman. "Mine makes me spend all night with his dick in my mouth, just in case he wakes up and needs to piss. I don't think he'd even know what to do with a real toilet by now."

Betty lifted a hand. "Mine made me dress up as a fake catgirl and come here with a tail up my backside, meow." She shifted around in her chair, trying unsuccessfully to find a comfortable way to sit. "And end every statement with meow... meow."

It seemed like every woman there had their own horror stories to tell. Seo-yun sat by herself in a chair apart from the others, forgetting her physical discomfort and her mysterious lack of healing for a time as she listened. These women were just like her! She'd already known that, but the full meaning hadn't impressed itself on her until now. She'd been enslaved for nearly a year, and even before that she'd been on her own for centuries. She had forgotten what it felt like to not be alone. As she listened to everyone there, she found herself feeling a sense of kinship that had been lost to her since the night her parents died.

She wasn't the only one suffering. Somewhere down the line, long before she had ever met Levinson, she had started unconsciously thinking that she was special, that the world was being cruel to her and her alone, punishing her for all her sins. She'd let herself believe that everything that happened to her did so because she deserved it. But she wasn't the only one in pain, and none of these women deserved to be treated the way they were and... her head pounded, and for a moment the pain was so great she almost cried out, but the thought pushed through: and neither did she.

Seo-yun took a deep breath. "...mine make me pretend to be an animal," she said shyly. All conversation in the room stopped as everyone looked at her.

"Well, how about that," said the koala happily, "you found your tongue after all!"

The dragon reached out and squeezed Seo-yun's hand. "Good for you," she said sincerely.

"Yeah!" encouraged the raven woman, pumping her fist in the air. "That's what I've been saying. Up there they get to fuck with us any damn way they like, but down here, for just a little while: fuck! Them!"

"Thank you," Seo-yun said, scooting her chair in closer. It still felt so strange to be talking again, and somehow exhausting. Being dizzy and sick to her stomach didn't help. But for all that, it felt wonderful to get to sit like a real person for a while and listen to a conversation, knowing that she was allowed to join in at any time.

"The crude language is unnecessary, Vorona" said Gossamer, the woman in the butterfly mask. She was seated in her chair like it was a throne, her posture perfect and her head held high. "And your ideas unsound. This is a competition."

"Only because they say it is!" protested the raven. It sounded like an argument they had already been through several times. "There's no reason we have to fight amongst ourselves!"

"Do you volunteer yourself for elimination tomorrow then?" she asked archly.

"You know what I mean, Goss," said Vorona, irritated. "I don't want to get raped by dogs or chipmunks or whatever the hell they got up their sleeves. And Ember was right: four days from now, probably every damn one of us will be miserable except her. But that doesn't mean we have to turn on each other. Even if we have to compete, we're all in this together. As far as I'm concerned, it's us vs them."

"I am in agreement," said Delphyne. "I have the desire to win, and I will do all that I can to achieve it, but I will not hate you the way they want me to. You are all my sisters." Many of the other women nodded.

"It would be... unbecoming of me to harbor resentment toward any of you," admitted Gossamer. "Your participation in this merits no disrespect."

"I don't want to hate any of you either," said Seo-yun. "I... I want to help you." She didn't realize how true the words were until she said them. All she had ever wanted was to help.

The wolf gave a wry laugh. "I appreciate that, hon, but there's no helping any of us. Certainly not in a place like the Paradisium."

"There is no need for 'the'," said Gossamer, displaying a flash of irritation that threatened to crack her otherwise perfect poise. "Paradisium means 'paradise'. One does not say 'the paradise'."

"Yeah!" said Crikey. "That's what's gonna bring those jerks upstairs to their knees: correcting their grammar!" No mask in the world could hide Gossamer's glare.

"What... what is the Paradisium?" Seo-yun asked.

"Slave trade ground zero!" said Vorona, spreading out her wings. "Number one nonhuman supermarket for every rich evil bastard in the world! Almost everybody gets people like us through the Paradisium."

"They do business with certain special clients all year around, but they are open to the general public only once each year," said Delphyne at a much quieter volume. "During what they call the Paradisium Game. You saw all the slaves out on the floor when you came in?" Seo-yun nodded. "Some belong to guests and are just there to be shown off, but most are for sale by the Paradisium. People come here every year to watch the show, enjoy the free samples, and purchase the ones they are fond of. There is nothing they love more than variety, you see. Why keep the same slave for ten years when you can get a new one each year and enjoy ten in that same span of time?"

"It's also where they throw away slaves, meow," said Betty, her eyes down.

"The ones with the tattoos?" Seo-yun asked, remembering the tortured slaves she'd seen.

"Exactly," said Vorona.. "Your master gets pissed with you, bored with you, whatever, and they don't want to bother looking for a buyer, they hand you over to the Paradisium instead for some cash. You get tattooed, and then you're open game."

"Once you're marked as meat, you're already dead," confirmed the koala. "Ain't nothing left but to find out how it happens! Anyone can do anything they like to ya, even killing."

"Especially killing," said Delphyne darkly. "There are many who come here only for those they call meat. Men and women who are not satisfied with merely owning and violating another life."

"Pigs," Gossamer agreed. "Disgusting animals." The butterfly woman gave a little shudder that was perfect in its execution, and Seo-yun couldn't help staring at the way it made her breasts bounce.

"But how can they just do that?" the fox asked. "I mean, I can't imagine hiding a place so big, or keeping all this trafficking a secret. How can they openly operate something so barbaric without the whole world finding out?"

"That's an easy one," said Moonshine. "Because pretty much all of the rich and powerful are its customers. There's some that ain't, but the place has enough friends in high places that trying to expose it or take direct action'd be suicide. You'd have fire and brimstone raining down on your head from a thousand different directions. And besides..." She shrugged. "At the end of the day, it's just a bunch of nonhumans getting hurt. Most humans don't even know we exist, and among those that do, there aren't a lot willing to go up against something as huge as the Paradisium just to save folks like us."

"That can't be true," insisted Seo-yun weakly. "That so many people would support it. Only the truly despicable could feel welcome in a place like this. I know that there are awful people out there, but surely there can't be that many. " She'd always believed that most people were inherently good. There were monsters like Levinson around, but they were rare exceptions, not the rule.

"Here's the thing," said Crikey. "Let's say you've got some money and prestige, but you're also a half decent bloke, the sort of guy who'd never dream of doing the kinda shit that goes on around here. But if you snub the Paradisium, act like you're too good for it, well, you'll end up a social pariah with no hope of getting ahead in life. Can't do a whole lot of good works like that. So instead you tolerate it, you know? You look the other way, and it gets easier every time you do. And eventually you start doing more than just looking. Maybe you fuck a cute slave girl once or twice after her owner insists you give her a try. Maybe you rent one for a night just to understand what it's like. Bit by bit you let this place corrupt you, and before long, the Paradisium has transformed you into a right proper bastard just like the rest of 'em. Then you turn around and give it the wealth and legitimacy it needs to expand its influence even further, become even more indispensable. It's all one great big circle, ya see?"

"It is through such methods that the Paradisium has risen in prominence with each passing generation," added Delphyne. "Even without its many allies, it possesses the financial and military resources of a small nation by now." She shook her head wearily. "So much power, and all of it turned to such horrible practices. It is a blight that turns the world darker every day."

Seo-yun let herself recede from the conversation again. She didn't want to believe what they were saying, that something so terrible could thrive in this manner without anyone doing anything about it. But she couldn't deny their words. She suddenly felt keenly aware of how far they were from the surface, and of the massive weight looming above their heads. It was as though the Paradisium was pressing down on them, slowly crushing them all to death.

While she was brooding, the conversation had shifted to other topics. "The hell do you mean you're not a slave, Qarinah?" Vorona asked incredulously.

The dark haired woman in the lion mask shrugged lazily. "I volunteered to be here. Is that really so hard to believe?"

"Wha-Yeah! It really is! It's crazy!" Vorona turned to the wolf. "Tell her that it's crazy, Moonshine!"

The wolf looked at Qarinah. "Succubus, right?" The lion nodded. "Makes sense to me, hon," she told Vorona. "They're kind of the poster child for 'can't rape the willing'."

"Think of it this way," Qarinah said, leaning forward. "Because I was out there having a nice time with one of the pups today, he wasn't bothering the rest of you, right? And I have zero interest in winning, so that's one less contestant you have to worry about."

Vorona scratched her head. "But... you seriously enjoy being raped?"

Qarinah shook her head. "That's what I'm trying to say, Vorona, it's not rape for me. Look, I know none of you want to be here, and I wish you weren't either. No one cares about consent more than a succubus. But your experience here and mine are very different. It's like..." She thought for a moment. "Think of this place as a buffet."

"A penis buffet?" asked the koala with a grin.

"Exactly, Crikey," agreed the succubus. "A buffet full of thick, juicy slabs of meat. And you are all vegetarians, being force fed this awful meat. But me?" She leaned back and spread her hands. "I'm a hungry carnivore."

"Well, now I'm hungry," said Crikey, scratching her stomach. "A little horny too."

"The man who violates me quite often force feeds me his meat," said Gossamer quietly. "I have at times imagined what it would be like to make an actual meal of it."

"I found it gamey and tough, with a gross aftertaste," said the pink haired woman with wings and an eagle mask. She smiled, showing sharp teeth. "But very satisfying to chew." There were general noises of acclamation for this.

Moonshine snuggled closer to Vorona, putting her head under the woman's shoulder and closing her eyes. The raven shifted her arm to help the wolf get comfortable, her fingers stroking the back of the woman's neck. "And what's the story with you two lovebirds?" asked Qarinah, smiling fondly at them. "Did you already know each other?"

"Oh sure!" said Vorona, grinning behind her mask. "We've known each other for, what, five whole hours now?"

"Mmm hmmm," Moonshine agreed sleepily, nestling her head closer. "Practically an old married couple."

"There are two minutes before lights out," announced the receiver. "All contestants not in bed at lights out will be disqualified."

"Guess that's our cue!" said the koala cheerfully. "Time for a good night's sleep, and then another fun day finding out who gets gang raped!"

The wolf gave Vorona another kiss before she stood up and stretched. "Well, if I end up getting mounted by one of those dogs," she said, "at least it'll be the least ugly thing that's ever fucked me." She gave her partner a lingering look. "Unless someone plans to do something about that..." Her ass swayed from side to side as she entered the sleeping area, and the raven quickly followed.

Seo-yun was the last to go. She surveyed the now empty room, so full of people just moments ago. How many would be left after tomorrow, she wondered. She remembered Ember's threat and shivered. Would she even be alive to find out?

**********

"You sure you wanna do this, Vee?" Moonshine whispered. "I was only teasing back there, I wasn't trying to push or nothing." Her voice was hesitant, but it wasn't fear making her entire body quiver at the raven's touch.

Vorona snuggled closer to the woman she was spooning. "I'm game if you are," she whispered back, her hands running over the wolf's contours. It wasn't her first time making love to another woman, far from it, but it was the first time it wasn't coerced. It was a brand new experience to be allowed to go at her own pace and follow her instincts without the looming threat of pain, whether as a punishment for poor performance or just an outlet for sadism. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Moon," she breathed into her partner's ear. "But whatever you do want to do..." she nibbled that same ear, and was rewarded by the brunette squirming wonderfully in her arms, "consider me down for it."

There wasn't any kind of privacy in the sleeping area. No sheets, blankets, or pillows either, just a bunch of bare cots spread out at equal intervals. But it was also pitch black in the windowless subterranean room, and many of the exhausted contestants had already fallen asleep, filling the place with various levels of snoring. If anyone looked hard or listened closely, they'd have no trouble spying on the two women, but modesty was a luxury that neither of them were familiar with. It was enough that they could forget about the other women all around them and pretend they were in their own little world.

Moonshine cradled one of Vorona's hands in her own, arresting its movements. "I was raised to never go all the way on a first date," she said as she pulled it towards her groin, parting her legs slightly to help her gain access. "But I reckon I can make an exception, just this once." She was already wet and easily accepted Vorona's fingers. The raven gently pumped them in and out, exploring her partner's depths.

While her hand got busy, her mouth was exploring Moonshine's neck, tasting the salt of her skin. The wolf writhed in response, a soft moan escaping from her lips. This in turn made her callused back pleasantly scrub Vorona's front, and her warm backside press appealingly against the raven's own sex. The dark haired woman found herself unable to hold still either, and for a time they both made quiet sounds as they enjoyed the intimate embrace.

It was Moonshine who moved first, turning around and pushing Vorona onto her back. The wolf rose to all fours and kissed the woman's chest and stomach as she shimmied backwards, her lips on a slow, meandering journey towards Vorona's slit. When they finally reached their destination, the raven found herself gasping, her hands balled up into fists at her sides as warm hungry tingles ran through her. It wasn't the brunette's skill that made her react that way; her tongue was clumsy enough that Vorona was certain that this was the first time she'd ever tried to pleasure a woman. But she was passionate and enthusiastic in a way that Vorona had never experienced. She'd had sex nearly every day for the last seven years, usually multiple times, but this was the first time she'd been with someone who was trying to make her feel good. The raven could feel the woman's eagerness to bring her pleasure, and that was more effective than any mechanical technique.

Vorona came hard with Moonshine's hands gripping her thighs and tongue lapping her pussy, her own hands buried in the woman's hair. The orgasm made her shake so badly that she nearly fell off the cot, and she let out a cry that no one still awake could have missed or misinterpreted. When it was over, the wolf raised her head and licked her lips. "You were delicious," she whispered with a smile, and the words sent a spasm of desire through the winged woman's body.

Tomorrow was quickly approaching, and Vorona had no guarantee that they'd both still be around when the next night came. Rather, given the kind of life she'd lived until now, it seemed impossible that fate could be so generous. But for now, for this brief time they had together, she refused to waste time worrying about it. She pushed all the dark thoughts out of her head and twisted around on the cot, eager to taste that soft wetness her fingers had touched and begin returning the favor.

**********

"Yesterday, our pretty performers got to do some spelunking," said Emmeck, "but it's no more cave crawling for these beautiful babes! Welcome to round two!"

For the first few seconds, Seo-yun thought the elevator had actually taken them outside. She felt the soft, thick grass on her feet as she stepped out, and the warm dirt beneath. In front of them stretched a lush forest, the canopy even denser than home, and it hummed with the sounds and scents of life as the sun shone overhead from a clear blue sky. But everything was just a little too perfect. It didn't have the natural, beautiful chaos of a real forest, but the sterile order of trees and plants placed in carefully planned spots. She squinted at the sun and saw it was no ball of fire, just a bright spotlight, and when she knelt and reached a hand into the dirt, she felt the solid cement a few inches down. The knowledge that she was still deep underground despite the verdant scenery made her feel even more claustrophobic than the cave system had.

"You gorgeous girls will have a lot of work to do if you want to catch up to Ember," Emmeck said, "but none of you are down and out yet! Instead of last round's blue ribbons, hidden deep within our wild jungle, inside ancient temples to long forgotten gods, are red ribbons worth a whopping five points! Find a few of those beauties, and you'll be on your way to become the new champion of Paradisium! But beeeee careful!" he teased. "Because you're not alone out there, and with great reward..." His voice became melodramatically low and ominous. "...comes great risk..."

Most of the arena was obscured by the forest around them, but Seo-yun could see enough to tell that it was far larger than even the reception hall had been, at least a mile on each side. The elevator shaft sat at what was presumably the middle of the field, with a large lump attached to its back that had to be the next rest area once the round was over. The shaft was a great black pillar that stretched all the way up to the fake sky, its presence making the falseness of their surroundings even more blatant.

The other women immediately began dispersing in all directions, and this time Seo-yun didn't lag behind, choosing a direction of her own and setting off as quickly as her legs would take her. "The master and mistress have agreed that I should guide you again today," said Celeste through the receiver. "They were unhappy about your disobedience, and have spoken of a need to severely correct your behavior upon our return home, but they were also pleased at your unexpected recovery into round two. Should you do well again today, I believe they may come to the conclusion that your actions merit a more limited punishment."

That was something, but not much. As Seo-yun raced through the undergrowth, she felt the sting of branches and thorns against her bare skin. Normally she would have healed such minor wounds before she even felt them, but without her healing, she could appreciate every ache. It was a harsh reminder of how much she'd always taken her ability for granted, and how unfortunate she was without it. She wondered if she should have taken that naga's advice after all and stayed in the rest area with her, but it was too late for that now. The elevator doors had already closed behind them, and last night had shown all too well that forcing them open wasn't an option.

She'd chosen this direction for one reason: it wasn't the way Ember was going. She had no reason to doubt the woman's threat, and no hope of surviving it. Even without her loss of healing, her dizziness and discomfort had only increased overnight. Her forehead now burned with a fever, and exhaustion had turned her movement into almost as much a stagger as a sprint. If she was like this now, she'd probably go down before the day was over, with or without a homicidal woman's help.

"If you remain on your current trajectory, the map shows a building containing a ribbon 46 meters ahead," Celeste told her. "There is no indication of any guards or dangers. I must therefore advise extreme caution."

Right. Seo-yun pushed aside her fears about the future. The present was what mattered. And in the present she was alive and feeling more like herself than she had in centuries. She wasn't going to give that up without a fight.

*********

Gossamer walked through the dense artificial jungle as easily as a paved road, bushes and trees shifting to allow the summer fae passage. Though her eyes saw nothing ahead of her but more foliage, her senses told her that there was a void in the forest just a few meters ahead. A moment later, she confirmed it with her eyes: a small structure camouflaged in forest colors. To anyone else it would have been all but invisible unless they ran into it. For her, there might as well have been a neon sign pointing the way.

It had been more than three centuries since she'd last been in audience at the summer court, but such time was a trifle. She was still of the nobility, only a few steps below Titania herself. Even if the humans did not afford her status the proper respect, it was an immutable truth. That was the one thing she had overlooked centuries ago: the foolish ignorance of mortals. When she had made her bargain with Emrys, agreeing to serve his lineage for seven by seven by seven years, she had done so on the belief that she would be treated with the proper reverence. Emrys had, to be certain. When he'd taken her to his bed, it had never been without her consent, and their lovemaking had been as much an act of worship as anything else. So in turn had his son Taliesin treated her, and his grandson Aiden.

The door to the hidden structure opened easily at her touch, revealing a dark room in which no light shone. Only dark until she stepped in, however. She brought with her the warmth and light of summer, and the interior became as bright as a meadow at midday. The walls were covered in twisting hieroglyphs meant to call to mind cultures long extinct. Gossamer's eyebrow arched in disdain as the sight of them; she had already been old when those ancient civilizations were born, and she recognized the symbols as meaningless gibberish. But hieroglyphics were not the reason she'd come here. She looked about the room, searching for the ribbon that must surely be within.

As generations passed, Emrys's descendants' respect for her had waned. It was his great grandson Aodhan who was first to rape her, after years of her rejecting his courtship. Even he had known that she was special, a being of unrivaled beauty and grace. The first time he took her, he called himself the luckiest of all men, and rejoiced at his fortune. He defiled her for years thereafter, but always he recognized her as his greatest prize. That was eight generations ago.

The room was empty, or so it seemed. She could still sense the shape of the structure, and it did not match the room's size. There was a space behind the easternmost wall. Her eyes roved over the stone. In darkness, the hidden switches would have been difficult for a mortal to locate, their contours concealed around and within the flowing hieroglyphics. In the light and her perfect vision, it was less than a child's puzzle. She pressed the switches in turn, and was rewarded by a grinding of stone upon stone. A section of the wall parted at the middle to create an square open window. Behind it was the hidden room, where the ribbon she sought rested on an altar. She felt contempt stir her heart at the sight of it. That the fortunes and lives of so many women depended on such cheap, tawdry things was no accident. By making them fight so seriously over something so pathetic, the Paradisium belittled all of their struggles, made them a farce to be laughed at.

Bryan was Gossamer's present owner, and he had never even heard of Emrys. In his eyes, she was a simple slave, not a servant, and he neither knew nor cared how she had joined with his family. There was no question of consent or respect for her. He simply took what he wanted, performing every base act that came to his filthy mind, with no appreciation of what an honor it was merely to be in her presence. Pearls before swine. The golden haired fae endured his touch, and his filth, and his disrespect, with the stoicism of eternity. He would rut with her, marring her beautiful skin with his sweaty, dirty hands, trespassing in the sacred spot between her legs with his paltry nubbin of flesh, and she would simply wait until he was done, betraying no reaction whatsoever.

For the first few years, this had infuriated him, and he had profaned her body with whips and fire and even cold iron, seeking to make her scream or beg or cry. She did none of those things, and eventually he had given up and accepted that she would never be more than a still and silent statue while he raped her. But her lack of response did not mean that his insults had been ignored. On the contrary, Gossamer remembered every last one, every unwanted touch and crude word and disgusting violation. She remembered those of his father as well, and grandfather, all the way back to Aodhan. Seven by seven by seven years she had promised Emrys, and not a moment more. If Bryan had ever asked her about the expiration of her agreement, she would have been compelled to tell him, but he had not, so she had not. Humans were pathetically short lived creatures, but he would live long enough to see her contract expire; she would make sure of it. Just one more decade, and it would be time for him to learn why the fae should always be treated with the utmost respect.

But for now, this game. Bryan had entered her in it more as a whim than anything else. He wasn't even watching. He'd simply wanted her out of the way while he enjoyed the women of the Paradisium. But that was no reason not to try her best. It would be disrespectful to the competition not to, and rude to her hosts. There were many good reasons . But because she was fae, and could not lie even to herself, she knew that most of all, it was because if she did happen to win, perhaps someone would finally look at her with a little respect again.

Gossamer reached through the square window to retrieve the ribbon, but it was just a bit too far away. She leaned in further and further until she was completely bent over, and still her fingers only brushed it. She scrambled up slightly, pushing more of her body through the opening and resting her stomach on the windowsill in an undignified fashion, and at last her fingers closed around the red ribbon. The moment she made contact, stone ground against stone again, and before she could react, the window in the wall closed back up around her. Gossamer found herself pinned by the stone in a roughly horizontal position, her upper body hanging in the hidden room while her legs kicked uselessly in the air behind her.

She heard movement behind and in front. A back door to the hidden room opened, and several small green creatures filed in. The fae woman heaved a mental sigh. Goblins. She should have known this place would employ creatures like them. Filthy, foul minded minions of winter and the Unseelie Court, which existed in eternal opposition to her own kind. She tried again to pull herself free, but she was held fast, so she simply went still, resigning herself to the rape about to happen. Even if she failed to escape, and was condemned to spend the rest of the game in this room, it would only be three days, less than the blink of an eye to a long lived creature like her. She would endure, just as she had already endured her owners for centuries.

One of the goblins hopped up onto the altar and stroked her golden hair. She couldn't help seeing that it was naked, and while its cock was nowhere near the hideous monstrosities the hounds had yesterday, it was still disproportional to its height, with a length and girth that any mortal male would have been proud of. "Mmmm," it purred as it ran its filthy hands through her shining hair. "A summer pet. We love summer pets." If her lack of reaction bothered the creature, it didn't show it. "Are you an obedient pet already?" it asked. "Hmm? No no no, untamed! Our lucky day, and yours. Get the medicine, and prepare a full dose for the pet. Waste no time teaching the poor thing how to play."

A pair of goblins each pinched one of the fae's nipples, and she felt a brief but sharp pain as they stabbed her with syringes, injecting some unknown substance into her breasts. Then someone behind her, no doubt more of the wretched things, began rubbing her clitoris. Gossamer tried without success to kick at him with her legs, and after a few minutes of stimulation a third syringe stabbed her now exposed clitoris. The pain this time was far more intense, as bad as anything Bryan had ever done to her, and the only thing that stopped her from screaming was her dignity as fae nobility. She wouldn't give these creatures the satisfaction.

It didn't take long to feel the effects of the injections. Her nipples began to feel raw and swollen, so sensitive that even the the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed brought with it intense sensation. She tried to ignore it, tried to be stoic like before, but she'd always been resisting pain, not pleasure. Bryan and the rest had never shown any interest in pleasing her, only in their own satisfaction and her discomfort. This was new and unfamiliar, and it took everything she had not to cry out. Her breath grew more ragged, which in turn increased the stimulation, and soon she was biting her lip to keep from screaming in ecstasy. She was summer fae. She was nobility. She was perfection made flesh.

A small whimper escaped her shut lips when she felt her clitoris beginning to respond to the final injection. She resisted the building storm of sensation with every ounce of effort left in her. She wasn't going to cum. She was not going to cum. She... she came, harder than anything Emrys or his kin had ever done to her, harder than anything she'd experienced in her long millennia of life. She thrashed and twisted in the throes of it, and her full lips parted to let out a sweet perfect pitched moan of pleasure. And then she came again, even harder, as her gyrations stimulated her further. And again. And again. And again.

Gossamer had already lost track of how many orgasms she'd had when one of the goblins lightly flicked her right nipple with his finger. It was like a rocket bursting in her brain, and she convulsed in the strongest orgasm yet, screaming out loud. He flicked her nipple several more times, each time garnering the same reaction. Another goblin latched his mouth onto her left nipple, and she thought that she was going to die from the sheer blinding pleasure of it. Her body was already exhausted and worn out from cumming, but it wanted more. It craved more, and she found herself pushing against the goblin's mouth, encouraging him to suck harder and fill her mind with pure bliss.

When she felt the first whisper of breath against her clit she started begging, not even knowing whether she was begging the goblin responsible to stop or continue. He wasn't listening anyway. His tongue lapped against her, and in the wave of pleasure that followed she felt something inside of her soul break. She wanted more of this. She needed it. Nothing in the world mattered more than what they were doing to her body right now.

And then they stopped.

Gossamer groaned in frustration. She still felt pleasure from the frantic motions of her body, and an hour ago, this would've been more pleasure than she could imagine, but now it was just a pale shadow of what she needed. She moaned, too out of it to use words.

The first goblin, still standing on the altar, stroked her golden, sweat soaked hair again. "I know," it said. "I know. Good pet. Now we train you." He produced a bullet vibrator and showed it to her. "Pussy." He tossed it to one of the others, who taped it onto her left nipple, the pressure of it even when off making her quiver in ecstasy. He showed her another. "Ass." That one was taped to her right nipple. "Mouth." The third he tossed behind her, where an unseen goblin taped it against her clitoris.

The goblin grabbed her ears and rubbed his cock against her lips. The wave of bliss she was still riding didn't stop her from shuddering in revulsion. His phallus was covered in slime, and it stank of sweat and piss and cum and goblin. That last smell was the worst, a sickly sweet stench that almost made her throw up. There was nothing in the world that would make her want a thing like that in her mouth, but she had no choice right now. The goblin tugged her jaw down and slid himself into her.

As he did, he showed her a remote he was holding, and pressed a button on it. The vibrator on her clitoris began buzzing, and it brought an orgasm that dwarfed all the ones that came before it, one that seemed to swallow her entire soul as it ravished her body, and as the vibrator kept going it went on and on and on... until he pulled out of her mouth and turned it off. Gossamer slumped, limp and lifeless in its wake. "More?" he asked, rubbing his dick against her lips again.

The golden haired woman didn't hesitate. She swallowed him up, and purred happily as the vibrator turned back on. She dimly felt another goblin climb onto her back and straddle her ass, wedging his cock against her anus. Before she could even begin to feel disgust at what he wanted, the vibrator on her right nipple activated and she was lost to a universe of pleasure. She didn't even feel the third goblin stuff his dick into her pussy, only the last vibrator turning on, the three of them crushing her soul into happy powder.

The one in her ass came first, and Gossamer moaned in frustration as it pulled out of her and turned her vibrator off. She thrust out her ass, demanding more, and squealed in pleasure when a new goblin began to sodomize her and her vibrator returned to life. So it went every time. There seemed to be no shortage of goblin cock, every new vacancy in her body being immediately filled. She welcomed each and every one, bucking against them, encouraging them. They were the source of her pleasure, and nothing else mattered but that pleasure.

**********

"Is this the day you fall, meat?" Master Sindak asked, amusement dripping from the efreet's words. "The day everyone finds out what you are?"

Ember tried to ignore her owner's words through the receiver. She'd become very good at ignoring things over the years. Like how much it hurt to burn her hair like this. She'd soaked it in flammable oils before the competition, a homemade version of Greek fire that would ignite from the slightest spark. The heat was trying to cook her scalp and boil her brain inside her skull, her master's protection the only thing stopping it, but she barely even noticed it anymore. The pain was a necessary part of being Ember, and being Ember was more important than anything else.

"That's my favorite part of all this, you know," Master Sindak said. There was a time when she'd thought of him as 'asshole' or 'bastard' or 'that motherfucker I'm going to kill one day', but those days were long past. Even now, far away from him and in the privacy of her own thoughts, she didn't dare think his name without adding the title. "The an-tici-pation. One mistake, one wrong step, and everyone finds out their beloved phoenix is a tattooed, mutilated piece of human meat!" He laughed. "Last night I made sure I have all your videos prepared. Those beautiful works of art you create for me every morning, where you beg and whimper and degrade yourself. The minute you're eliminated, I'll send them allllll out so your fans can finally see what you're like the other 360 days of the year. And I've got a list of people a mile long that I just know will want to hatefuck you to death." She didn't doubt him for a minute. He'd been waiting for her to slip up for years now.

Four years ago, she'd first come to the Paradisium under the name Sparrow. At that point, he'd already spent the better part of a year breaking her down, crushing her spirit until she was little more than an empty husk that neither knew nor cared about anything outside of keeping his cock happy. Her entry in the game had been nothing more than a cruel joke of his, a chance to watch the used up slave that he'd grown bored of flail about and be humiliated. He hadn't even expected her to survive the experience.

But she'd done more than just survive. Being in the Paradisium Game had returned some spark of life to her that even she'd thought was long extinguished, and she'd made it through the first three rounds by the skin of her teeth. There were only three other girls left at that point, and the knives were out. As the only plain human, she'd known that the others saw her as the weakest link and would target her to gain her points for themselves. She'd needed an edge, something to throw them off balance and scare them. And she'd found it in Ember. Her immunity to fire had been the single ace she'd had up her sleeve. She'd been desperate at the time, and set her entire body on fire for the deception. It had been one of the most agonizing experiences of her life, but it had worked. Everyone assumed that she'd been hiding her true phoenix nature to make people underestimate her. The last two rounds had been painful and bloody, but she'd clawed her way to victory in the end.

Master Sindak had not been happy. He didn't want her getting any ideas about her place in life, so his first act after she won was to mark her as meat. He'd spent the year abusing her harder than ever, telling her repeatedly that the next time the Paradisium opened, the game would be her public execution. She wouldn't be so lucky a second time, he'd promised.

But it hadn't been luck. She'd won a second time, and a third, and a fourth. At some point, his attitude about it had changed from resentment to excitement. It had become a sort of game to him. The tattoos, the rings, the videos... all of it was designed to maximize how far she would fall when she lost. Her mask would crumble and she would no longer be Ember, just worthless meat that had managed to fool people for a little while.

Ember could hear everyone else running through the jungle, racing to find ribbons and beat her. They all had handlers guiding them straight to where they needed to go. She had the one person who wanted to see her lose more than anyone. All the others had supernatural strength, or enhanced senses, or even freaking magic powers to give them advantages, while she was just an ordinary human whose head really fucking hurt. By any rational measure, this should be hopeless. But she had two things going for her that everyone else didn't:

She was the most goddamn stubborn bitch in the world.

And she wasn't going to lose.

So she ran. The direction didn't matter. The map didn't matter. She just had to keep moving, and find a way to make it work.

Ember caught a flash of color between the trees and angled towards it. What she found was an ornate treasure chest sitting on a flat, circular stone embedded in the earth. Surrounding the stone were seven concentric stone circles, each painted a different color of the rainbow, starting with red at the outer layer, and emblazoned with a number in silver: 450, 590, 445, 620, 380, 570, 495. Some kind of puzzle then, where you needed to step on certain rings, or in the right order, to unlock the chest.

She had no idea what the solution was supposed to be and she didn't care. Ember had seen enough traps in the Paradisium over the years to understand how the people who made them thought. They were designed to make contestants feel clever as they walked right into their jaws. The numbers and the colors on the circles didn't matter. The point was to convince people that the stones were meant to be stepped on. Every damn one of those rings would be trapped.

She backed up and took a running leap, clearing all seven rings and landing next to the chest. She ignored the lock on the thing. It was probably filled with poison gas or something equally debilitating. Ember flipped the container over instead, and sure enough, there was a red ribbon taped to the underside. One down.

"She's done it again, folks!" cheered Emmeck. "Ember widens the lead as she becomes the first to pick up a ribbon. Can! Anyone! Stop her?!"

Not if she could help it. She jumped over the rings and took off again in a sprint. She just had to keep moving. Had to keep winning. Whatever it took.

**********

Lamia's head slapped against the wall at a quick but steady rhythm. The naga, human from the waist up and snake from the waist down, groaned quietly with each blow, her brown hair wet with blood. When this had first begun, she'd been terrified that she was about die. By now, she had far worse fears on her mind.

She'd thought she was being so clever when she hid in the rest area that morning instead of joining everyone else on the elevator. She'd known it meant losing, but she didn't care about the stupid contest. After watching what had happened to the losers of round one, and hearing Ember's prediction that each subsequent round would get worse, she'd made the only rational decision available: self-preservation. Losing inside the rest area would mean getting to spend the rest of the game within its relative safety. Her owner wouldn't be too pleased by her performance - and indeed, when the round started the first thing he did was scream at her for several minutes straight - but he'd never been a particularly creative or bloodthirsty man. No punishment he'd devise for her could be as bad as becoming one of the Game's victims, and he was far too fond of her pussy to make her meat.

And at first it had worked perfectly. The moment the round began, her mask activated and injected her with the paralysis inducing agent she'd seen the other losers receive. She'd been resting on one of the couches in the main area, which were far softer than the pathetic cots they'd considered beds. When her body stopped responding she'd just relaxed and waited for it to wear off in a few minutes.

Except that it hadn't. She was being paralyzed, but her snake mask hadn't crumbled like the others, and was still supplying a regular dose of the agent. She'd realized her mistake after further consideration. Being "out of bounds" had triggered the paralysis, but she was still technically a contestant for round 2. She wouldn't be officially eliminated until the day was over, and until then, her mask would continue paralyzing her. The thought of spending hours like this was an unpleasant one, but not severely so. It would end eventually and everything would continue as planned.

And then the doors had opened.

It had taken less than five minutes for one of the dogs to sniff out her presence. It had stalked into the rest area, clamped its jaws around her torso, and hauled her right off the couch while she made small gasping noises that were supposed to be screams. She'd begun hyperventilating when she felt its cock started probing her crotch. It had found her pussy easily enough, but the grapefruit-sized head had been too big to fit in. It was the same quirk of her anatomy that had made her a favored target of her owner: like all nagas, her legs extended only a short distance before fusing into a long slender snake tail, leaving her thighs pressed together and her slit tight. It was a common dirty joke among her people to call a man a 'snake charmer' in praise of his sexual conquests, because the average naga woman needed to be sopping wet before even an undersized penis could squeeze into her. To make things even worse, the paralysis had not made her muscles relax, it had tightened them, which she was certain was a cruel and deliberate prank from the Paradisium. Even the most patient and gentle snake charmer wouldn't be able to fit inside Lamia in this state.

The giant dog didn't know or care about any of that, though. It just wanted inside of her, and it grew increasingly agitated with every moment of failure, until she was scared it might lose its temper completely and kill her. Its powerful, clumsy attempts pushed her body around, sweeping her across the floor to crash into the chairs and couches that people had been talking and laughing in not long ago. And then the beast had either figured out a solution or simply gotten lucky. It had pushed her up against one of the walls head first, trapping her between the wall and its cock with no escape.

Its frenzied thrusts had made its intentions clear. It would either force its way into her, or smash her body to pieces trying. She was increasingly less certain that she'd been better off with the first option. Something in her pelvis had snapped, and on the dog's next thrust its massive head had forced her pussy to stretch unnaturally wide. Her paralysis spared her the sight when it finally wedged itself into her body, but none of the sensation. She'd screamed and screamed in those little gasps as its cock had steadily demolished her tight insides to gain access.

Even with all its enthusiasm, it had taken nearly half an hour for the beast's hammering thrusts to reach her cervix. Another ten minutes after that and she was howling silently as her swollen womb was stuffed with its cock head. She'd been in unimaginable amounts of pain, and convinced that things couldn't possibly get worse. She'd been wrong. Forcing her against the wall had helped the dog get inside her, but it did nothing to help it get back out. Her narrow canal was stretched as taut as a rubber band around it, clamped so tightly that it had to be almost as painful for the creature as it was pleasant. Her pussy, she'd realized with a jolt of nausea, had been transformed into little more than a condom, and a too small one at that.

That had been more than an hour ago, and the beast still hadn't given up. Crouched over her tail, the monster dog kept furiously trying to fuck her, its trapped cock causing it to push her body back and forth across the floor instead of pumping in and out, smacking her against the wall over and over in failed attempts to dislodge itself. It had made progress over time, but not in a way that either of them wanted. Nagas were a sturdy, resilient people. "We bend, but never break," her mother often used to say. It was her insides that had bent this time. When the dog had first penetrated her womb, more than a third of its cock was still outside of her. Now its hairy balls rubbed against her pussy lips. Even the knot at the base of its cock had been forced into her by its persistence. Her entire pussy had molded itself around its shaft, and she doubted it would ever fully recover.

It wasn't just her current hell that made her miserable. Her entire life, awful as it was, had now been thrown into jeopardy. When her owner discovered that his favorite hole had been ruined, he was going to want to cut his losses and make her meat. Her only chance to avoid that would be to convince him she was worth keeping around. The days of laying back and trying to think of home, letting her natural tightness justify keeping her around despite her lack of enthusiasm, were over. She'd already decided that when she saw her owner again, the very first thing she needed to do was crawl to him and suck his cock without asking. If she could impress him with her eagerness and skill, make it clear that she was willing to do anything to make up for her loss, then maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't get tortured to death.

Her head continued slapping against the wall. Lamia was feeling more than a little woozy from the near concussions, and it took her a moment to realize more dogs had entered. Their tongues lolled out at the sight of her, and even though they were just animals, she could feel their amusement at their packmate's plight. It growled back at them, not sharing in their merriment.

One of the newcomers' teeth closed around her neck, and Lamia braced herself for the end, but they didn't break the skin. The hold was still extremely painful though, its jaw muscles strong enough to close off her airway. A slower death than having her throat ripped out, but just as certain. Delirious by now and half convinced that this was all just some horrible nightmare, she didn't grasp the purpose of the bite until another set of jaws closed around her tail in the same fashion. Holding her still.

Lamia's entire body convulsed as the dog pulled back, ripping its cock free from her pussy's deathgrip. For just a moment she felt empty, like she'd been hollowed out, and then it slammed back into her. Its balls slapped against her as it buried itself in her completely, and then it was back out, and back in, and back out again. The beast reared its head back and let out a roar of triumph as it finally managed to pound the naga like it had wanted all this time. Lamia could only twitch in place and choke, not even allowed oxygen as her once tight slit was transformed into a gaping fucktunnel.

When she passed out, its thick cum had just begun blasting off inside her. She had no idea how long she was out, but its load was still pouring into her when she woke, the jaws around her throat loosening just enough to allow her a trickle of air. She sucked it in gratefully, but wasn't surprised when the grip tightened once more after just a few seconds. She would only breathe when they wanted her to breathe.

She passed out once more before its thick knot popped out of her like a cork from a champagne bottle. Lamia could feel its seed sloshing around inside of her. She'd seen some of the dogs' other victims, both in person and on the television before the raven woman had smashed it. She'd witnessed the massive amounts of cum the creatures produced, enough that a single load would quickly overflow from the women and drench them in it. But not for her. Every last drop of it remained inside of her; she was so stretched that there was room for all of it. That more than anything else made it hit home just how thoroughly she'd been raped, and the naga whimpered. She'd never felt more violated, and she knew she would never be the same again.

Then the next dog took a turn.

**********

Seo-yun thumped her fist against the wall in frustration. What was she supposed to be doing here?

The temple Celeste had led her to had turned out to be a disappointment. It was about five meters on each side and covered with swirls of paint and strange carvings, but she'd walked around the entire thing four different times without seeing anything that resembled an entrance. It was tempting to just give up and go looking for another ribbon, but for all she knew, the next one would be no easier to retrieve. This was a puzzle, and puzzles were made to be solved. She just had to figure out how, and fast.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard rustling just a few feet behind her. How did something get that close to her without her smelling it?! She whirled to see who or what it was, and groaned inwardly. It wasn't the person she least wanted to see right now, but it was the runner up.

"Get lost, freak," snapped Snowflake as she approached the building. The selkie in the otter mask pointed to the side. "Go bark somewhere else." A red ribbon already dangled from her arm.

Seo-yun shrank at the woman's harsh tone. She was angry, and anger always meant punishment. Seo-yun had somehow managed to stand up to Ember last night, but she felt none of that same strength right now, just raw terror and the urge to fall to her knees. She began to step back, putting distance between the two of them, and her shoulders bumped into the wall behind her. She twisted her head, looking from side to side for a different escape route. Perhaps if she fled fast enough, the selkie wouldn't hurt her too badly. It was no use hoping that the woman wouldn't hurt her at all. That never happened. Before she ran away, should she crawl over and kiss the woman's feet to apologize for her disrespect? Or would her failure to immediately obey only anger Snowflake more? Her legs trembled, unsure of the right action to minimize the selkie's wrath.

No. She didn't have to be that person here, she reminded herself. Snowflake wasn't her owner, she was just a bully. Despite that mental reassurance, forcing herself to stand still in front of the selkie, neither kneeling nor fleeing, was one of the hardest things she'd ever done.

Snowflake's steps towards her became slow and deliberate, her body language radiating fury. "You deaf too, freak? Somebody chop your ears off while they did your tails?" Seo-yun felt a flash of remembered pain, and unconsciously raised a hand to her left ear. Levinson had indeed chopped one of her ears off, though he'd put it back in time to heal. The callous way he'd cut a piece of her off as an experiment had made her even more terrified of the man than she'd thought possible.

In a way, remembering the cruel torturer made the fox feel a little better. Snowflake had been nothing but hostile to her, but her behavior was nothing compared to that psychopath. Why did she have to be afraid of this otter brat? "No," she said, quiet but resolute.

Snowflake laughed, the sound as ugly as the last time Seo-yun had heard it. "So the freak learned how to talk overnight. Nice trick. You already know how to beg too?" Her eyes glinted within her mask. "Or do I have to teach you that one?"

The otter was almost in arms reach now, and she looked ready for violence. Seo-yun knew that selkies were associated with water, but she didn't know anything about their other capabilities. What she did know was that she was in no condition to fight anyone, supernatural abilities or not. She stepped to the side, maintaining distance from the woman while keeping her back to the wall, and swallowed. "I am... not a freak."

"Yeah? Well what do you think you are then?" asked the blue eyed otter. She matched Seo-yun's pace, walking with the casual confidence of a hunter who'd already cornered her prey, and could now take her time with it. Both women knew that the selkie could easily close the distance between them whenever she chose. "Because you sure as hell aren't a fox."

Something in the wall shifted as Seo-yun's sliding shoulders pressed against it, and the two women froze as a a large section of the wall between them retracted into the ground. For a moment they just stared at the revealed entrance, and then Snowflake broke the spell first by dashing inside. Seo-yun followed a half-second behind her, cursing her slow reaction.

"I do not advise this course of action," warned Celeste, but Seo-yun ignored her as she sprinted forward. The building's single room was filled with dust and almost entirely empty. It had a floor made of two large stone tiles placed side to side, a thin crack between them, and in the center of the room, a red ribbon dangled at the end of a rope. Both women ran towards it, but Snowflake had the lead and more energy. Seo-yun reached a hand out toward the ribbon, already knowing it was too late. Just another failure for the useless ex-gumiho.

Seo-yun's hand didn't reach the ribbon, but it did come into contact with something else and she instinctively grabbed hold. She couldn't see anything there, but she could feel it, soft and warm and furry. It felt familiar, and even though it was invisible, she knew immediately what it was. How could she ever fail to recognize a fox tail?

"Let go of me, freak!" hissed Snowflake as she ripped the ribbon from off the rope. Something up above shifted as the rope was pulled down, and then there was a rumbling from beneath them and the crack between the two floor tiles began quickly widening. The trap door swung open, and both foxes plummeted.


	7. Fun and Games

“There we go,” said a goblin cheerfully as he tied the ribbon around the two girls’ necks. “Pretty as picture.”

Seo-yun and Snowflake both knelt with their wrists bound behind them and their legs spread. The red ribbon that had gotten them captured in the first place was now forcing their mouths together into an awkward kiss, their masks scraping against each other. Seo-yun was also uncomfortably aware of their breasts pressing together, nipples rubbing each other’s sensitive skin with every movement.

The goblin idly fingered both of their pussies as he talked to them, steadily pumping them with a single finger each. “We be generous, yes? We only need one of you. So one can leave, keep ribbon, have a good time playing the game. Other stays here with us, has even better time.”

The two women had never had a chance. The trapdoor had dropped them down a good twenty or thirty feet onto a padded surface, the landing jarring but not injurious. Before they’d even finished bouncing, let alone tried to stand or get away, they’d both been swarmed by goblins and tied hand and foot.

The room they were in now was an odd mix of modern and ancient. The walls were similar to the building above it: gray stone covered with pictures and symbols. But the computer in one corner was decidedly out of place, as was the bank of monitors above it. Most of the monitors showed the outside from hidden cameras placed around the building. Another was a more abstract map that must have been the entire playing area for the round. There were glowing marks indicating each ribbon, with text alongside: READY, ESCAPED, or TRAPPED. Seo-yun caught one of the ribbons switch from READY to TRAPPED, and a moment later Emmeck piped up in her ear. “This appears to be the end of the road for our brave heroine Atalanta, folks!” he was saying. “And, wait for it… yes, her namesake was famous for being a virgin huntress, but less than sixty seconds after being captured, ours **definitely** doesn’t qualify anymore! Now, a little mythology lesson: the original Atalanta was eventually bedded thanks to three golden apples. Those three cocks rooting around in the Atalanta down there may not be golden, but they certainly have heads the **size** of apples!”

Seo-yun had a million questions for Snowflake, but the way their heads were forced together made it impossible to talk to the woman. Seo-yun knew what she’d felt back there. The other woman was a fox too. Not a gumiho freak like her, but a true kitsune, with foxfire that was allowing her to hide her tails even now. Was that why the woman hated her, because she was a gumiho?

“We play little game of our own!” said the goblin while he finger fucked them. “Rule is simple: whoever has most cum in mouth at the end, gets to leave. Other gets to have lots and lots and lots more cum.” Rules explanation apparently finished, he pulled his fingers out of both their pussies and stuck them in each other’s mouths, making them taste the other.

That was all the foreplay they got. The mob of goblins, twenty in all, split up into two groups of ten behind the women. Seo-yun felt one of them rub his cock up and down against her slit, and then he was pushing it into her. He was nothing compared to the Wilmingshires, but he was still long and thick and she was mostly dry, and she groaned into Snowflake’s mouth as his gnarled cock scraped against her pussy walls. She couldn’t see anything past the other woman’s face, but she felt her stiffen and knew that she too was being raped.

The goblin quickly established a rough rhythm in and out of her, and Seo-yun was surprised at how much more painful it was than she’d expected. Another fault of her condition, she realized with dismay. Before, her insides had been in a constant state of healing while she was raped, doing their best to undo the damage. That was no longer the case, leaving this unremarkable goblin’s cock rubbing her raw in ways that even George Wilmingshire hadn’t been able to manage. Was being raped always this painful for everyone else, she wondered, or did they somehow get used to it?

After far too long a time, the goblin pulled out of her without sinking back in. Her insides felt shredded like never before as he walked over to their heads and grabbed Snowflake. The woman made a surprised sound as he turned her head towards him and forced his cock into her mouth. “You bite, you die slow,” he said simply. Another goblin, the one who must have been raping Snowflake, grabbed Seo-yun’s head and did much the same, warning and all. The fox tasted the other woman on him as he began to cum, firing ropey strands of jizz into her mouth.

When both goblins had finished in their mouths, they pushed their heads back together into a kiss and left without a word. Remembering the directive to have the most cum in her mouth, Seo-yun resisted the urge to spit or swallow the slimy foul liquid. Another pair of goblins were already working their cocks into the women’s pussies, and Seo-yun squealed softly at the sensation of another stiff cock pounding her already chafed insides.

To her shock, Snowflake pushed her tongue into her mouth. Seo-yun froze, not knowing if the french kiss was meant to be an act of compassion, or if the woman was getting turned on by their situation. Then she felt Snowflake’s tongue scraping the sides of her cheeks and realized the truth: the dark haired woman was trying to lick the cum out of her mouth so that she could be the one to go free. She had no choice but to reciprocate with her own tongue, doing her best to scoop the sticky juice from Snowflake’s mouth and bring it back to hers.

For for the next several minutes the women sloppily kissed, tongues intertwining, as they fought for possession of the disgusting goblin jizz. They only stopped when their latest rapists pulled out and once again fed their cock to the other, not the woman they’d been fucking. Seo-yun fought not to lose any of the cum already in her mouth as she did her best to wring all she could out of the goblin. Another one of them was already behind her, balls slapping against her mound as he plowed her, before she was done sucking the last drops out.

Back to kissing. It was even grosser now that they had twice as much cum to fight over. Some of it ran out the sides of their mouths before they could stop it, but most mixed with their saliva, creating a goopy mess of cum and spit that divided and reformed and divided again as it was passed back and forth between them. By the time there were four loads to work with, the mix filled their mouths, and they greedily sucked and slurped on each other. When the goblins next pulled their heads apart to feed them more jizz, neither of them could stop a wad of it from being lost, running down both their chests. Seo-yun felt awful about the waste, and even worse about the fact that she had become so invested in filling her mouth with goblin cum.

According to the clock on the wall, nearly an hour had passed by the time all the goblins had gotten their turn with them. By now there was so much cum that it drooled past their tired lips no matter what they did, and both of their fronts were completely coated with the slowly drying sticky stuff. Seo-yun felt like she was going to throw up; time had not improved the taste. On the contrary, the more cum they had swishing back and forth, the more sour and pungent it all tasted. Over time as it mixed with their saliva, it would grow more watery and lose some of its potency, but that wateriness also made it much more likely to dribble out their mouths. The only cum they could keep holding onto was the thicker, more concentrated jizz that clung to their tongues and cheeks.

Tears came to Seo-yun’s eyes when she felt a goblin cock against her anal ring. No, she thought desperately, please, not that! But the other goblins were already lining up for a turn with their assholes. She was unsurprised to find that anal rape too was more painful without her healing. It was far from the first time she’d felt blood trickling out of herself and down her legs as she was brutally sodomized, but before she’d always known that the damage was temporary. Now she felt sick to her stomach in a way even the goblin cum couldn’t accomplish as she wondered what kind of permanent damage was being done to her bowels.

The new taste when she was fed goblin cock this time nearly overcame her endurance, and she heard Snowflake gagging as well. In an act of casual cruelty, it was no longer enough to merely suck the cum out of them; the two bound women had to lick the stinking dicks clean while trying futilely not to let more precious cum dribble down their chins. The bitter earthiness of it lingered long after Seo-yun’s anal rapist left her mouth, and grew stronger with each additional cock. It was almost too much to have to keep fighting for it, keep trying to scoop and slurp and suck the filth from the other fox’s mouth. The only thing that kept her from giving up was the relentlessness of Snowflake. She could feel every gasp and moan and squeal the fox made, and knew that she was just as miserable as Seo-yun, but she never hesitated, never stopped frantically licking her. She would even suck on Seo-yun’s tongue whenever the other woman was careless enough to let her, trying to scrape off the sticky coating of jizz built up on it.

An hour later and ten anal rapes later, Seo-yun’s entire mouth ached. The aching jaw was familiar enough after the many long gangbangs Levinson had put her through, but she’d never realized that tongue muscles could get as worn out and sore as any other muscle. Just keeping her mouth shut had become an act of endurance. But when the goblins pressed their lips together and stood them up, both foxes began fighting with renewed vigor, knowing that this would be the deciding moment. Their tongues lashed against each other as Seo-yun was pulled down to lie on her back, Snowflake atop her and… no… Seo-yun whimpered as one of the goblins squirmed beneath her to begin fucking her pussy, his hands on her cum coated tits. She felt the added weight as another goblin mounted Snowflake to give her the same treatment, felt the back of his hands rubbing her chest as he too groped his fox fucktoy. The others were already lined up to wait for their chance to enjoy them again.

Seo-yun felt hot tears cascade down her cheeks as she realized that their torment was only just beginning.

**********

The sky wasn’t real, but that didn’t stop Vorona from soaring through it. The raven flapped her wings, reveling in the rare sense of freedom as she made idle loops and turns in the air. It would have been even better with some proper wind currents to glide on, but her wings were strong enough to carry her on their own.

“Stop playing around,” her father snapped. “If you don’t get as many points as you can today, I swear to rip those wings right off your back, you lazy ungrateful cunt.” Vorona would have given anything for a way to smash the damn receiver to dust. She settled for flying fast enough that the rushing air drowned out his angry tirade. She’d play the part she was here for, but on her own terms, not his.

As she flew, she soared over the top of one of the countless fake temples dotting the land. This one was a pyramid with a red ribbon at its peak, no doubt littered with fiendish traps. But that didn’t matter to the raven, who snagged the ribbon with her fingers as she flew by. It joined the three other red ribbons she’d picked up in much the same way. This was all too easy. The architects of the game had done all their planning in two dimensions, not three. They’d designed so many of these traps for creatures like them that had to waddle around everywhere on legs, not those like her who could take to the skies. Sure, if she tried to go **inside** one of these temples, she’d probably find herself plucked and stuffed in moments, but they’d left more than enough ribbons outside for her.

She banked towards another exposed ribbon, this time at the top of a pole surrounded by stone archways. If she went and got them all, maybe her father would shut up and let her enjoy herself for once. Stranger things had happened. Probably.

As she flew under one of the archways, she felt something thump onto her back hard enough to knock the wind out of her. She immediately rolled to try and knock it off, but whatever it was grabbed hold of her wings, refusing to be dislodged. “Calm down, blackbird,” said a high pitched yet guttural voice. “Calm down.”

Her father groaned in her ear. “You stupid bitch! Can’t you do **anything** right?! Get that fucking goblin off of you!”

“Fuck you,” Vorona snapped, not sure which one she was even talking to. She kept bucking and rolling, determined to get rid of her attacker, but nothing seemed to work. Then she felt something bite into her left wing, right at the base.

“Calm down, blackbird,” repeated the goblin. “Or I have to cut wing. Sad, yes? Pretty blackbird that never flies again?”

Vorona forced herself to straighten out and fly normally. “If you damage a single feather of my wings, I will murder you,” she swore. Her wings were the sole bright spot of her life, and the thought of losing them made her sick.

  
“Why would I want to harm pretty blackbird?” the goblin asked, amused.

  
The raven growled. She could kill him - it wouldn’t even be difficult - but she couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t hack one of her wings off first. She might be able to heal quickly enough to prevent permanent damage, but she couldn’t risk it. “Then what **do** you want?”

“I want same thing you want,” he said, as though the answer were obvious. “You want to fly. I want to fly. I have no wings to flap, so I come to you for help.”

“Fine, you’re flying,” said Vorona through gritted teeth. “So when the hell do you leave?”  
  
“Silly blackbird,” said the goblin. “Right now I am only sitting.”

Something tightened around her neck, and the raven gasped and nearly fell out of the sky. She flapped awkwardly to stay up, unable to breathe, and flinched as the goblin kicked her on her right side, digging his foot in. She instinctively turned left, and the garrote’s strangulation didn’t end, but it loosened ever so slightly when she turned, enough that she could force a breath in. It promptly tightened back up and the goblin kicked her again, this time on her left side, and Vorona felt her face heat up with shame as she obeyed the command and turned right.  
  
“Smart blackbird,” said the goblin happily, allowing her more ragged breaths. “ **Now** I am flying.” He continued to kick her a few times, directing her one way or another at random. “Aren’t we having fun?”

“Get… fucked…” said Vorona, forcing the words past the garrote.  
  
“Thank you,” he said pleasantly. “That does sound more comfortable.” She felt him shimmy down until he was straddling her butt instead of her back, and then she let out a pained breath as he began to work his cock into her asshole. “Nice and tight blackbird!” he said. “Best way to fly!”

Inwardly Vorona cursed the little bastard, but she didn’t have the breath to spare to do it out loud. For a few minutes he guided her over the treetops as his wiggling hips wedged himself deeper and deeper into her bowels. “Left and right are easy,” said the goblin once he was completely inside her. “Smart blackbird can learn more. When I tug, you squeeze.” The garrote immediately went tight again, without him kicking her at all. Vorona stubbornly resisted for about twenty seconds, and then gave in and clenched her ass muscles around him. “Good blackbird fucktoy!” he said.

As they flew, he never pulled his cock out of her. He left it buried in her guts, and used the garrote to make her pleasure him instead. He strangled her rhythmically, a few seconds on, a few seconds off, and she reluctantly responded by hugging his prick in the same rhythm. “Keep going, blackbird,” he told her eventually, and let her breathe. Quietly cursing to herself, Vorona kept squeezing him in rhythm. “Wonderful blackbird!” he said mockingly. “So easily trained. Already knows how her rider likes to be pleased.” She hoped that would be enough for him, but the moment she stopped, she felt sharp metal against her wing. “I did not say stop, silly blackbird,” he told her. “If I am in you, you are pleasing. Or you are falling.”

Vorona lost track of how much time she flew like that, wandering aimlessly at his direction while forced to keep fucking him with her ass. Hesitating to obey him or failing to keep perfect rhythm always resulted in being strangled or having her wings nicked. The raven seethed while she helped her rapist enjoy his flight, all the while having to listen to her father call her stupid and useless and deserving of every second of this.

“Here it comes, pretty blackbird,” the goblin finally said, and drew the garrote tighter than ever before. “Squeeze for your rider!” Helpless to disobey, she clenched tight around him, and felt his cock beginning to shoot off, spitting cum into the depths of her bowels. Even after he finished, he continued strangling her. “New lesson, blackbird,” he said. “When your rider finishes in you, show gratitude. When I release, say ‘pretty blackbird thanks her rider for his cum’. Or do not, and poor blackbird will wake after to find no wings.”

She was going to kill him. She was going to rip his little hands off, and then she was going to see how he liked having that fucking garrote wrapped around his nutsack. But for now… “Pretty blackbird thanks her rider for his cum,” Vorona spat out.

“’And looks forward to much more’.”

“…And looks forward to much more.”

“Good blackbird! Smart blackbird!” said the rider. She screeched as he suddenly made a long gash along one of her wings. “Lazy blackbird…” She quickly resumed squeezing him again.

  
He didn’t give her any warning for what he did next. Vorona just felt a sudden spray of hot liquid in her guts. “Did you ju-?!” Her angry outburst was cut off by the garrote.

“Useful blackbird,” the goblin said cheerfully, still pissing in her while strangling her. “Ride animal and fucktoy and toilet, all in one! Does blackbird know what to say when I let go? Or should I start cutting some more?”

He loosened the garrote, and she coughed. “Pretty blackbird… thanks her rider for his piss…” she said, catching her breath.

“And?”

  
“And looks forward to much more.”

He laughed. “Yes, yes! Do not worry, pretty toilet, there is much more of both to come.. We have all day long to fly and soar and fill the blackbird up.” He kicked her sharply in the side, and Vorona held back a cry of pain as she turned in midair to follow his command and continued clenching, feeling his cock already growing stiff inside her once more.

**********

Qarinah stamped her foot and said a bad word.

"Still no luck?" asked Muhtadi sympathetically. "Sorry love. I wish this darn map would show which ribbons were already gone, like yesterday's did." He sighed. "There is another one close by that we can check."

The succubus nodded and followed her husband's directions, still inwardly pouting over her bad luck. Eight ribbons. Eight! And every single one gone before she got there, with no monsters or traps or anything. She hadn't had sex **all day**. If this kept up much longer, she was going to burst.

Her sexual frustration paled next to how bad she felt for her husband right now. He'd let her take this vacation even though it meant having to spend nearly an entire week apart. In the six years they’d known each other, they’d never been separated for that long. She knew being apart pained him as much as it did her, but he'd been willing to do it for her sake, to let her have a good time. And here she was wasting his sacrifice by spending the day taking a walk instead of doing anything or anyone fun.

"Almost there," Muhtadi said. "You should be seeing it on your left... if it's still there, anyway." He sounded depressed. Qarinah knew her husband well enough to know that he would be blaming himself for her bad luck. Silly man. She was going to have to teach him a lesson by spoiling him rotten when she got back.

She found what must be the ribbon's resting place: a stone well with no rope or pulley, a wooden lid resting on the ground nearby. There! Qarinah let our a girlish squeal as she saw the ribbon. It was right down there at bottom of the hole. All she had to do was lower herself down into the dark where anything might be waiting, rendering herself blind to any creatures on the surface that might be watching her even now, and put herself in a position where she could be easily rendered trapped and helpless. She'd never seen a more obvious trap in her life. It was **perfect**!

The succubus hummed as she lowered herself down into the well, finding no shortage of handholds on the cracked wall. Maybe soon someone would push her up against this same wall as he rammed himself into her wetness. Or would he put the lid back to seal her in, and not let her out until she'd agreed to do all manner of wicked things for him? Or maybe he'd just tie her up, binding her every limb until she couldn't move a muscle, and then carry her off somewhere private where he could take his time having his way with her. Qarinah's thighs grew damp as she imagine all the wonderful possibilities in store.

Her feet touched the bottom, and she bent down to pick up the ribbon, giddy with anticipation. She wiggled her ass in the process, hoping to encourage her would be assailants to stick it in there hard. The dog yesterday had been lovely, but it would be even better to feel someone yank her hair back and pull her close with an arm around her stomach, leaving her squirming body no avenue to escape as he filled her with his hot, hard manhood.

The ribbon came free easily, and the succubus held her breath as she waited for the trap to close.

And waited.

And waited.

Qarinah let out her breath. "Hello?" she tried calling out. "Can anyone help me? I appear to be **completely** stuck in this well! If anyone with untoward thoughts found me like this, why, they'd be able to fulfill all of their fiendish desires with my tight, supple body..."

"Sorry love," said Muhtadi regretfully after a few more minutes passed and it was clear no one was coming. "Maybe next time."

The succubus hissed in frustration and stamped her foot again. It wasn't fair!

**********

"Don't be afraid," said the goblin, stroking the daimon's flank. "No fear, no fear."

Tempest ignored him, still trying to struggle free from her bonds. The pink haired girl was suspended in the air by all four limbs, left close enough to the ground that her nipples brushed the floor. The white wings she had been soaring on only a few minutes past were now restrained behind her and frustratingly useless. She hadn't spotted the goblins until it was too late to avoid their weighted nets. They’d brought her to the ground and then carried her away, opening a hidden door in the ground that led to this underground chamber. The air in here was stale and musty, unpleasant to breathe in. She could hear goblins milling all about her, feel their body heat and smell their stench. Even if she hadn’t been tied up, being in the center of such a crowd would have been enough to make her feel claustrophobic. Her chest was tight, and it felt like she couldn't get enough oxygen.

Worst of all, the room was dark. Completely pitch black. Her eyes couldn't adjust, and her surroundings refused to resolve into anything more than inky darkness. She could hear and feel and smell the goblins, but couldn’t see them, couldn’t brace herself for their inevitable assault. Time slowly passed as she twisted and fought and waited for them to just hurry up and get it over with. Her adrenaline faded, and her muscles became sore from tension, and her frenzied struggles gradually weakened.

"No fear," repeated the goblin after she'd worn herself out and laid limp and panting in her bonds. "We are here to help. Our gift to you."

"Then let me down," she growled. "And pass me some ribbons while you're at it."

The goblin chuckled. "No, no, not that kind of help. This game is fleeting, yes? A few days, then poof, gone. We give **real** help." Tempest heard something metallic being scraped along the ground, heading right towards her head and she flinched despite herself. But it stopped when it was directly beneath her, and she heard water faintly sloshing back and forth. A bucket? "Back home, your owners, they make you suck dick, yes?"

"Only if they want to lose them," Tempest snapped. "Why don't I show you what I mean?" She snapped her teeth in the direction of his voice, hoping to catch a piece of him with her razor sharp fangs, but she found only air. Her teeth were harder than steel and made for crunching bones. Her first owner had thought a ring gag would be enough to keep him safe. He’d sold her off after she converted him into a eunuch.

"Good, good," said the goblin. "Perfect. We help you to be good dick sucker."

Tempest began to tell him where he could stick his help, but she'd barely gotten a word out of her mouth when a hand grabbed the back of her head and pushed her down. There was a flash of cold as liquid spilled into the gap between face and mask, and then her head was underwater. The pink haired daimon thrashed, trying to lift her head back to the surface, but there were multiple hands now, forcing her to stay down. Her lungs cried out for relief, but she was utterly helpless as the last seconds of her life ticked down.

Her powerlessness was more infuriating than ever. If she had her own skin back, even a thousand goblins wouldn’t be a challenge… but she didn’t. Thanks to that damn Skinner, it was lost to her, probably forever, and she was trapped in the form of a simple harpy. Even her owners had no idea what manner of creature they possessed.

As she slowly drowned in complete darkness, the daimon wasn't too distracted to notice someone's cock pushing into her dry slit, and her head thrummed with useless rage at the violation. It wasn’t enough for these awful creatures to murder her; they had to rape her while they did it. Hands grabbed her thighs as the unseen goblin enjoyed her cunt. Time seemed to stretch out as her consciousness faltered, making each thrust feel like it lasted a million years. Tempest's eyes closed for a final time.

And then hands were lifting her head up, and she was gasping, water running down her face. "See?" said the goblin. "Air is good, yes? No air, no good." Tempest was only barely listening, all of her attention fixed on getting as much oxygen as possible, and she flinched as an unseen hand slapped her hard across the face. "Air is good, yes?" repeated the goblin in the same light tone.

"Yuh... yes..." the daimon agreed, panting. Her rapist was still behind her, eagerly stuffing himself in and out of her cunt, and she wiggled her ass, trying vainly to evade his thrusts. 

"Gooooood pet," crooned the goblin. "Smart pet. Air is good. And now we practice. Sucky suck, get air. Simple."

Tempest tensed, expecting one of them to stick their cock in her mouth now. Drowning or no drowning, she'd chew the greasy little thing off with a smile. But instead, it was the water again. The daimon still hadn't caught her breath yet and her lungs screamed as they were suddenly denied the oxygen they were still so desperate for. "Sucky suck," she heard the goblin say above her. "Sucky suck, get air.”

The pink haired woman realized his meaning then and opened her mouth to start gulping down the water. It was cold enough to hurt and tasted stagnant, but it was a better option than drowning, and she could feel the water level sink lower with each swallow. Somewhere in the middle of this, she felt the goblin that was raping her reach climax, his seed spurting into her suspended cunt. He was replaced by another goblin so quickly that at first she thought it was the same one somehow still hard, but his rough shaft was shaped slightly different.

After about thirty seconds of frenzied drinking, she’d lowered the water enough to draw breath again. "Good pet," praised the goblin. "Good pets get good air." The daimon's stomach felt bloated and awful as she swung in midair. She'd chugged at least a quart of the stagnant water, and though she didn't regret it for a moment, her insides felt differently. Her stomach grumbled in protest at being forced to handle so much, so fast.

Metal scraped on the ground. "That was good warmup,” said the goblin. “Now sucky suck.” Tempest found herself back underwater again.

She didn't hesitate to begin swallowing water again, though her insides began to churn as her already full stomach was forced to make accommodations. Ten seconds in, she felt a stab of panic. The water level was sinking lower, just as it had before, but at a much slower pace. This bucket, or whatever it was, was larger than the previous one. After thirty seconds the water level was only halfway to where it needed to be, and her digestive system was rebelling. It took everything she had to force each mouthful of foul tasting water into her throat, and she felt like a balloon being filled with too much air. Her head pounded and her lungs burned and she realized in the moment that if she had the choice, she'd much rather be sucking cock than sucking down water. But she had no choice in the matter, and so as her belly screamed at her to stop and her chest screamed at her to go faster, both growing louder with every passing second, she swallowed and swallowed and swallowed and...

Tempest didn't even realize that she'd passed out until her eyes opened blearily and she had a sudden and violent coughing fit. The first and most important thing that she noticed was that she could breathe again, and she gratefully drew in air as soon as her coughing stopped. The second was that her new rapist was cumming. More goblin jizz painted her insides, and then he was gone and someone new was forcing himself into her asshole. He was huge, but she was too tired and out of breath to do more than groan softly as her anal ring was stretched and her guts filled.

"It's okay," soothed the goblin in front of her. "All okay. We try as often as you need. Sucky suck."

Panic lanced through Tempest's heart like an icy spike, and an instant later she was drowning again. When she realized that the water level had been restored, that all her hard work earlier had been for nothing, her despair became almost a palpable thing. Her stomach hurt more than before and her esophagus tried to refuse her, but she forced down mouthful after mouthful, overcoming her physical response through sheer force of will. The alternative, to drown over and over and over, was far more horrifying than the pain and discomfort of force feeding herself. Her anal rapist happily squirted his cum into her bowels, and the next started working towards the same goal.

She did it. She did it. She was shaking with fatigue and sweating with nausea, her belly so swollen that it rubbed the ground beneath her, but she did it, and every gasp of stale, musty air she took afterward tasted better than the sweetest wine.

"Good pet," said the goblin, letting her lift her head back up. "Time to empty.' That was the only warning she received before he kicked her square in her bloated, overstuffed stomach. The daimon retched violently, and when he kicked her again, everything came spewing out of her mouth, water and bile and breakfast together. He continued kicking her as it all spilled out, not content to stop until she’d completely emptied her stomach.

It took more than a full minute of vomiting to get it all out of her system, and Tempest groaned when it was finally over. Both the inside and outside of her stomach felt like they’d been pounded with mallets, and her throat was ragged and hoarse. "I'll do it " she rasped weakly. "I'll suck you, okay?" The shame of submitting paled against the horror of being drowned again.

Was it still the second goblin raping her ass? The third? She couldn't remember as she felt the spray of warm cum in her guts, followed by another thick cock sliding all the way into her jizz coated cunt on the first thrust. Metal scraped against the ground again, and the sound elicited a whimper from the young woman before she could stop herself. "Silly pet," said the amused goblin. "This not about us. This gift for you. Sucky suck."

When her head plunged under the surface this time, she recognized at once that things were different: they were using salt water. She gagged on the first mouthful and unintentionally swallowed some of it down into her lungs. Tempest choked, her body convulsing so hard that it wrung out her latest rapist. Before she passed out seconds later, her asshole was already stretched tight around another prick. She woke and swallowed and drowned, and woke and swallowed and drowned, in a seemingly endless cycle.

Dazed, head pounding and whirling, in the pitch black darkness the daimon couldn't even tell if she was above or below the surface anymore, awake or unconscious. Her cheeks hollowed as she sucked in with everything she could muster, not even caring if it was air or water. "Sucky suck," she heard through the fog, and she felt grateful to the goblin for helping her know when she was being tortured and when she was being rewarded.

The salt water burned going down, as though she were drinking liquid fire. She swallowed anyway. Her stomach twisted up in knots at each addition. She swallowed anyway. Her pussy and ass ached as every rapist used them harder and rougher than the last. She swallowed anyway. "Sucky suck," said the goblin, and she realized that she'd passed out again. Back down into the refilled container, to swallow and burn and retch and ache.

"Good pet," she heard at last, and she moaned in fear, shaking her head wildly from side to side in useless denial of what would happen next. "Time to empty." A foot against her stomach. A torrent of salt water rushing back up her throat. A goblin kneading her ass cheeks as he became the latest to soak her womb in cum.

"Please," she begged afterward, a broken woman. "Please let me suck you! Please please pleeeaaaaaaase..."

Metal scraped. A cheerful goblin voice. "Sucky suck."

It was a new liquid this time, as salty as before with a stinging bitterness and an awful stench. Tempest was disoriented and only half conscious, but she'd been a slave for two years now, and she couldn't fail to recognize the taste: piss. They were drowning her in goblin piss.

She had never felt more worthless in her life, more degraded. A growing part of her hoped that the goblins wouldn't rescue her one time, that they would have mercy and just let her die here. But they never did. She woke up gasping for breath again and again and again, each time given only the briefest of moments to recover, often just a single pitiful breath, before the insulting command to suck was issued again. It was getting hard to even remember what it was like not to be drowning. To get to breathe as deeply as she liked, as often as she liked? Take in oxygen without having to chug and puke up filth to pay for it? Surely something as pathetic as her didn't deserve such a privilege.

Her other holes had become sloppy and sticky with cum. Each time she was raped now, the current goblin would generously rake her open hole with his fingers, scraping out past loads of cum to make her slightly less disgusting for the next person to use that orifice. The way they raped her always radiated with eagerness and excitement. She could feel their joy at dominating her every time their hips smacked wetly against her thighs, feel how much they loved being inside her with every sharp thrust. She was giving them all such a good time.

It felt like hours before she heard them again, what had become her most hated words in the world: "good pet." She sobbed in misery, half certain by now that she'd died and gone to hell, and wishing desperately to be right. That would mean she'd earned this nightmare of darkness and pain and humiliation, that it had meaning. It would mean her suffering had a greater purpose than amusing a pack of goblins while they raped her.

"Time to empty." She felt lower than a toilet as they made her violently expel her bellyful of goblin piss. Tempest wasn't even angry with the goblins anymore. Why shouldn't they treat something as disgusting as her like this? It was exactly what she deserved.

The liquid they dunked her in next was thicker and more viscous than the others. It tasted good, genuinely good, nothing at all like what she'd been tasting before it. She slurped it up almost eagerly, happy to overwrite their foul tastes. Her comparative bliss lasted for a full ten seconds.

And then the hot sauce began to work.

Tempest screamed. Even as the liquid filled her lungs, she screamed, helpless to stop herself. Her body found reserves of energy she’d never known she had, and wasted it squirming and howling as she burned alive from the inside. “Sucky suck,” she heard. “Sucky suck. Sucky suck. Sucky suck.” Her stomach bulged with hot sauce as she was forced to try over and over. She just wanted to keep her head down there and escape, but they kept yanking it back up, denying her the mercy of death. In her mind, she begged every god she’d ever heard of for salvation, even her bastard of a father. She would happily sell her soul to any of them for even just a few minutes of relief. She could feel her mind slipping away from her, beaten down by exhaustion and agony and oxygen deprivation, and she welcomed it.

“Good pet.” Her tongue and lips were both swollen and pulsing with pain. Her skin and hair were drenched with sweat. Both of her lower holes drooled cum, and were so sore that every new cock that penetrated her felt like it was made of razor blades and broken glass. She’d been crying at one point, but the tears had long since dried, replaced by dead eyed resignation. “Time to empty.” She spat hot sauce out from one end, while a cock spat hot slime into the other.

“Almost done, good pet.” The unexpected words confused her. Almost… done? The pink haired daimon had forgotten that there even was such a thing. Hadn’t she always been here, choking and puking and burning and swallowing? What more could there be to life? “Next one very special,” said the goblin. “Special batch. Your batch. Sucky suck.”

Thick, slimy liquid filled Tempest’s mouth and coated her face. The goblin cum was still warm, and she didn’t need words to know it was from her. This was the cum that they’d fucked into her one prick at a time, squirted teaspoon by teaspoon into her fuckholes and then scooped out so they could drown her in it. Hot, sticky proof that every single one of them had conquered and enjoyed her. The daimon tasted both her pussy and ass as she sucked down the gooey jizz, returning the goblins’ seed back to her body where it belonged. Unlike usual, even after she’d downed enough to breathe again they didn’t lift her head back up, and she knew what they wanted from her. She continued gobbling up their cum, slurping the remnants that had pooled at the bottom of the container, running her tongue over the sides to lap up the smears. She couldn’t see to tell if she was done, so she just kept licking and slurping, determined to get hunt down every last drop.

“Good pet,” she heard when her head was lifted at last. Tempest waited for the next words, and to feel his foot on her belly, but instead something hot and hard slid across her face. “Time to show what you learned. Sucky suck.” She opened her mouth and swallowed up his cock, sucking on it fiercely while her tongue swirled around the head and danced over the shaft. She didn’t bite, didn’t even consider biting. They were doing something other than drowning her, and in that moment she loved them for it, loved them for offering her such unearned compassion. She sucked his cock with all the enthusiasm she could muster, tasting both of her holes on his shaft as she lapped it clean, eager to demonstrate how much she appreciated them.

Even when he pinched her nostrils shut and shoved his prick down her throat, deliberately choking her, the daimon felt nothing but gratitude and love towards her kind goblin masters. It was only natural that they deny her breath. Breath was a reward for being a good pet. She bobbed her head to fuck herself on his cock, ignoring the agony of its thickness rubbing against her raw and bleeding throat, and the way her insides churned and protested at the idea of swallowing even a single more drop of their filth. Agony was just part of life. Being used as a cum dump was just part of life. Wanting to be dead was just part of life.

His juices spurted down her throat, adding to the collection sitting warm and heavy in her stomach, and then she was gifted a breath, a single beautiful breath, before one of the others yanked her head in his direction so he could cram his own stiff prick down her gullet. Tempest felt so loved that she could cry. She sucked instead, happy to serve. She swallowed load after load after load, each adoring suckjob rewarded with an entire breath of her own.

And then it was over. She swallowed another mouthful of cum, and instead of another thick cock sliding past her lips, there was nothing. She drew a second breath, and a third…Tempest trembled in the darkness, scared and confused. Why were they doing this to her? She didn’t deserve this much!

  
“Time to empty,” one of them said, and the daimon sighed with relief as his foot connected with her stomach, happy to be back in familiar territory. She did feel a fleeting sadness as all their loving cum evacuated her body. That was the seed that they’d gifted to her holes, that they’d choked her with, that they’d allowed her to suck out of them one cock at a time. She couldn’t imagine anything more precious. But there was already somebody back between her legs, working hard to make more for her. She was such a lucky pet.

There was the scrape of metal along the ground, and a warm hand on her head. “Good pet,” said the goblin. “Very well done. But practice makes perfect, yes? Sucky suck.” And then Tempest was back in the stagnant water, choking like she was meant to. As she began to happily gulp down their present, she realized that something wasn’t the same. It was slightly thicker, slightly more acidic, like… the daimon retched with joy as she realized the gift they’d just given her. She was drowning in her own regurgitated water. And when she was done, they’d do the same with the salt water, and the piss, and the hot sauce, and… How wonderful, she thought, as she let the knowledge of what the next few days had in store melt away the last of her sanity. How generous of them. She would get all their cum back after all.

**********

Vorona’s wings felt like they were going to fall off as her rapist continued taking her for a joyride. The son of a bitch seemed to have an inexhaustible amount of stamina, and whenever he wasn’t filling her guts with one thing, he was filling it with the other. Her bowels had begun to cramp from all the liquid he’d squirted into them, and after being wrapped around him for so many hours, her asshole felt like it might never return to normal.

She’d never flown this long before, and certainly never with such a heavy weight attached. She felt like she was drowning in mid-air, each weary flap bringing her head back up to the surface. She bobbled and meandered, unable to maintain a proper direction or altitude anymore. But as ungainly and disoriented as her flight had become, she continued clenching his cock with clockwork precision. His knife had seen to that. Her wings were covered in dried blood from the many nicks and gashes he’d given her, each one marking a moment where she wasn’t a perfect flying fucktoy for him.

“A single goblin,” said her father, disgusted. “All that training, all that preparation, and you’re going to be eliminated on round two by a single pathetic subhuman piece of trash.”

“Getting tired, pretty blackbird?” asked the goblin.

  
“Fu-gahhh!” The garrote tightened, cutting off her angry retort. He was relentless with that fucking thing, choking her with it every chance he got. Her throat felt ragged and raw where the wire touched it, and her voice, when she was allowed to use it, had been reduced to a hoarse whisper.

  
“Forgetful blackbird,” said the goblin. “Knows how to fly and please, but still has such trouble with manners. Try again?”

“Pretty blackbird is tired,” Vorona croaked once the garrote loosened. “Pretty blackbird wishes her rider would get the fuck of-guhh!”

“What to do with forgetful blackbird?” the goblin mused, not letting up. “What to do… ahh, yes, your rider knows what you need.” He kicked her in the side to change her direction. “I take you to special place, pretty blackbird. Lots of goblins there to help teach even stupidest and laziest bird.”

The raven had no choice but to keep flying as he led her towards what she knew was going to be a nightmare. “Pretty blackbird will be so much happier when she has three riders,” the goblin told her. “Only one is not enough. Your rider feels sorry for your neglected holes. Once you learn to fly with three, to please all of them in the air at once, what a wonderful sight you will be. Our pretty flying fucktoy, clenching and sucking and thanking us for piss.”

Vorona tried to think through the exhaustion. One goblin was a terror by himself; she had no interest in entertaining an entire rape train worth of them. But disobeying would mean losing the right to fly in the sky forever, thanks to this fucking piece of shit and his knife. And even if she wanted to fight back, she wasn’t at all certain she could manage it while in midair. Wasn’t there anything else she could do?

The raven spotted the answer, and for the first time in hours, she smiled and used the full range of motion on her wings. “Eager blackbird!” chortled the goblin as she sped up. “That is good! Many eager goblins too. Good eager blackbirds will still have wings when this is all over.” He kicked her side, but she ignored him and his garrote, pushing herself to fly even faster. He kicked her again harder, with no better result. She angled down, streaking forward to meet the waiting earth. “Stupid blackbird,” he said slowly, amusement gone from his voice. “Your rider is not amused.” Another kick. “Stupid! Blackbird!” The ground was coming up to meet her dizzyingly fast, and she wasn’t sure if she was going to crash or black out first.

Vorona felt something pop in her arm as it made contact with the ground first. The impact felt like running into a brick wall, only more reckless. She bounced off, spinning and rolling helplessly through the air before crashing back down, this time on her chest. At least my wings no longer hurt so much more than the rest of me, she thought as she bounced several more times in quick succession and ended up sprawled on her side. She felt the bastard’s piss and cum dribbling out her asshole as she laid there, exhausted and sore. She willed herself to get up, but her head was spinning too badly to focus her thoughts. She would only need a few seconds to get her bearings, but that was time she didn’t have right now.

“ **Stupid** blackbird!” hissed the goblin angrily. The raven lacked the strength to even turn her head to look at him, but she didn’t need to; he was stalking closer. His face appeared in her line of vision, filled with dark rage. “Stupid, stupid blackbird,” he said, and she cried out weakly as he knelt and began sawing at her left wing with his knife. She tried to focus on defending herself, but her head and body felt disconnected from each other. “Stupid wingless little bitch,” he said, and spat on her as he cut. “Stupid-”

He only had a fraction of a second of warning, a quickly moving rustling of underbrush, and then the wolf burst into view, her tackle striking him square in the chest and slamming him down to the ground. The goblin screamed as the beast easily pinned him down and ripped her teeth into him, tearing out bloody chunks of flesh. “My hero…” Vorona rasped as she watched her work.

The werewolf didn’t stop until she’d torn the goblin apart, her muzzle wet with his lifeblood. She padded over to the fallen raven, and then her form warped. “Are you alright, hon?” Moonshine asked, worry clear in her voice.

“Yeah, I’ll… I’ll be okay…” Vorona promised, trying to catch her breath. “Just a little sore throat and… and some cuts here and there… and maybe a broken arm…” She tried to smile to show Moon that she was alright. “I guess I get to be… the damsel this time…”

“What the blazes were you thinking, crashing down like that?” the werewolf snapped, concern replaced with fury. “You damn near killed yourself, and if I hadn’t been around, he woulda finished the job!”

“I saw you…” Vorona said. “On the ground, from up above. And I knew you would help.”  
  
That brought the wolf up short, and she seemed to sag. “Yeah, I would, wouldn’t I?” asked Moonshine, an odd note to her voice. “Here, let me take a look at that arm.” Vorona felt her cool fingers on her skin, her touch gentle. “No…” Moonshine said slowly. “I don’t think it’s broken, just dislocated…”

Her hands moved with a sudden, violent motion, and Vorona screamed as pain exploded in her limb. “There,” said the wolf with clear satisfaction, **“now** it’s broken.”

“Wh-what are you doing, Moon?!” Vorona asked, panicked. She tried to rise, but the other woman put a hand on her side and easily pushed her back down.

“I’m winning, hon,” Moonshine said with a friendly smile. She began to untie Vorona’s ribbons, one by one, and retie them to herself.

“But, but I thought…” Vorona protested weakly, tears coming to her eyes. No… not her too…

  
Moonshine giggled. “You thought what? That we were friends? **Lovers**?” She reached down and stroked the raven’s hair. “See, that’s why I chose you in the first place, Vee. Because you are so goshdarn gullible. All sweet and naive like a little lost lamb waiting to get gobbled up. To be honest, hon, I was gonna string you along a little while longer, let you collect some more points for me before I took you out, but…” She looked over the dark haired woman’s body and shrugged. “You’re done. Even if you manage to crawl back to the elevator, you’ll just get eliminated tomorrow. So why waste time pretending to care?”

Vorona’s chest was heavy, and she felt like she couldn’t breathe. It was a million times worse than the garrote had been. “But… but why?” she managed to say.

Moon laughed, an ugly sound to it. “Here, let me help you out. You watched last year’s game, right? You remember Silverclaw, last year’s runner up?” She gave a little wave. “Hi! Back in the saddle!”

“I… I don’t…”

Moonshine sighed, and most of the fake friendliness left her expression, leaving her looking tired and defeated. “You know what second place is, sugar? It’s a **loser**. I would’ve been better off coming in dead last. My owner was so furious about getting that close to victory that he spent the next half year making me pay for it.” Her eyes took on a faraway look. “And the rest of the year, training me to come back here… that was even worse. Thought I was gonna die most days, but I was never that lucky.” She shook her head. “He entered me under a different name this time, even forged names on the registration papers, because he thought I’d have a better chance if people underestimated me, thought I was just another fresh face. And he made it very clear: I win this time, or I become meat. Those are my only options.”

Vorona tried to stand up again, and again Moonshine effortlessly pushed her down. “You… you can have all my ribbons…” she said. “Moon, I-I don’t care about the game…”

  
“Way ahead of you there, hon.” The brown haired woman held up her arm and turned it back and forth, showing off all of Vorona’s prizes. “And of course you don’t care now. Neither did I, at the time. Thought the whole thing was stupid.” She pointed a finger up at the fake sky. “But all them folks up there, including your owner and mine, they care a whole heck of a lot. You think I’m the first girl to piss her master off by losing? Way I hear it, near half the girls who go through this thing come out as meat on the other end. They flame out too quickly and get killed for being an embarrassment, or they last longer and get killed for not sealing the deal. Heck, if any of our owners really gave a damn whether we lived or died, we wouldn’t be down here in the first place, now would we?”

Moonshine looked away from the injured woman, and her voice turned cold. “That’s why I’m going to do you this one favor, Vee. Call it thanks for all the points. I’m not gonna leave you here to get raped by more goblins, or to get tortured by your owner. I’m going to help end this for you, right now.” Her form warped, and a great gray wolf began to pace in a circle around the fallen raven.

“The hell are you doing, slut!” shouted Vorona’s father. “Kill the furry bitch!”

“I… I don’t want to…” the raven said, tears flowing freely now. She picked up the goblin’s fallen knife, her own blood still drying on its blade, but she didn’t raise it to defend herself. It wouldn’t do her any good anyways. A little frog-sticker like that would barely scratch the werewolf . “Please Moon, don’t do this. I don’t want to fight you. You can just, you can just leave me, okay? I’ll stay here and let myself be eliminated. No matter what happens to me, I won’t be mad at you, honest…”

“It’s too late for that, hon,” said the wolf. “It’s kill or be killed. Has been since this game began. And I’m not gonna be meat, Vee. I can’t let that happen.” She crouched low, growling, and then pounced.

**********

Delphyne felt like a fool as she hung in midair, caught inside a mesh net that dangled from a tree branch. She'd been so focused on avoiding the sneaking patrols of goblins and navigating the elaborate traps built around each ribbon that she'd managed to overlook such a simple trap as this.

The jangling bells attached to the mesh must have been a signal, because she'd barely stopped swinging before a trio of goblins emerged from some underbrush with leering grins. "What tasty prey we catch?" one of them asked.

"One that would burn your mouth," Delphyne told him. "I have no quarrel with you or your kind. Let us all leave this place in peace."

They snickered. "We don't want to fight either, little dragon. Just want to play! Have good time, lots of fun games." The speaker reached a hand in and stroked one of her legs, the contact making her skin crawl. "You will enjoy the games. I promise. They all do, by the end. And you will get very, **very** good at them."

Delphyne sighed. Well, it had been worth a try. She flexed against the net, trying to rip it apart, but the material was surprisingly resilient and didn't give at all. After a few tries she gave up. Whoever had designed it had done so with supernatural creatures in mind. The watching goblins laughed again at her failure, and one of them poked her with a stick, making her swing back and forth. "Special net, keep prey nice and safe," he told her. "Keep her from hurting herself before well trained. See?"

He spoke a word in an unfamiliar language, and the net began to shrink. It hadn't been comfortable to begin with, and in seconds the cords were digging painfully into her skin and still growing tighter with each passing moment. Delphyne brought her hands up quickly to stop the net from choking her, and ended up with her wrists trapped against the sides of her neck. Her legs were in no better condition, bound together by more cords looping around from her ankles to her thighs. Even her wings ended up pinned to her back, unable to do more than twitch. By the time the net stopped shrinking, it had transformed into a full body rope dress.

The wicked thing didn't just render her helpless. One of the cords traveled between her legs, parting her lower lips as it went from front to back. Every movement caused the rough material to rub against her slit, the reaction painful, itchy, and though she hated to admit it, slightly pleasant. Others squeezed the bases of her bound breasts, making her modest chest swell and leaving the flesh feeling extra sensitive. Worst of all were the ones digging into the soles of her feet, causing a ticklish sensation that only grew stronger as she involuntarily moved to try and avoid it.

She was so distracted that she didn't notice them untying the net from the tree until she thudded to the ground. All three goblins crowded around and began to touch her. They slid their hands up and down and between her legs, rubbed and smacked and grabbed handfuls of the soft curve of her ass, groped and sucked and bit at her swollen cleavage. The green haired woman squirmed in place between them, unable to keep them from exploring and playing with her body.

"Please... stop..." she managed. "Don't... want to... have to hurt you..."

"Aww, sweet stupid pet," one of them said, patting her head. "Already so considerate of her new friends." He grabbed a fistful of her hair and lifted her head up with it. Delphyne gagged as he stuck a finger from his free hand into her mouth. It tasted awful as he prodded her tongue and cheeks. "No worry, no worry. Only way the pet hurts us is if she bites, and pets only ever do that once."

His cock slapped wetly against her mask, the tip already leaking precum. "Time for the first game. You will get **lots** of practice at this one. Show how sweet you can suck, pet."

Delphyne tried to call upon her dragonfire, but she was feeling too overwhelmed to control it properly. There were too many sensations vying for her attention, especially when the goblin with the stick brought it down hard on her ass and made her yelp. "We all want to play fun games with you, pet," he said, striking her again. "So be quick. It is my turn next."

Delphyne looked at the slimy green member bobbing in front of her, the wet head rubbing her lips to smear its precum on them. It wasn't exactly how she'd ever imagined the very first blowjob of her life would go, but she didn't think she had much choice. The bound woman parted her lips and took him in.

She hadn't thought about what it might taste like, but it was far worse than anything she would've come up with. He was greasy, rough textured, and smelled of sweat and urine. She licked him slowly, trying to adjust to the new experience. She'd never held any attraction for men, and it didn't look like this was going to change that, but the only way out was to get it over with.

"Ooh, good pet," crooned the goblin, both his hands tangled in her green hair now as he lightly rocked his hips. "Fiery pets are fun, but so are meek pets. Knows her place, knows her job, earns lots of cum treats. Need training, but plenty of time for that. Plenty of new friends happy to help."

He tasted less awful with every lick, but that only made her feel even more nauseated, picturing his grime sitting in her stomach. Delphyne lapped at him, letting his body language tell her what he liked. She found a spot on the underside, just below the plump spongy head, that made his hands clench in her hair, and she focused on it. The sooner she made him finish, the sooner it was over.

The inside of her mouth felt like it was coated in precum by now, slick to the touch and bitter to the taste. More of it was trickling down her throat, a precursor of what was to come. She could hear the soft, wet sounds caused by his shaft sliding back and forth across her tired lips, feel spit and yet more precum dribbling down her chin. It was disgusting and humiliating to debase herself like this, and for a moment she almost called upon her dragonfire right then and there, regardless of the consequences, but she fought that feeling down. She was better than that.

He gave her no warning before it happened, his prick suddenly spurting a thick wad of semen that spattered against the back of her mouth, followed in quick succession by more. Delphyne let her mouth hang open to allow some of it to drool out, but she found herself reluctantly swallowing far more, wary of the trouble she might provoke by actively spitting.

At last he was done, and pulled out to rub his now soft prick against her hair, using it as a washcloth for the saliva and cum that clung to his shaft. She tried to ignore the indignation sparked by the casual defilement of her body, and focused on her breathing, taking deep steady breaths, feeling the dragonfire within her. She let every breath mix with the flames, slowly, carefully, deliberately fanning them. A loss of concentration would mean loss of control. Loss of control would mean the dragonfire escaping with potentially disastrous results.

She nearly let it slip when the goblin abruptly let go of her hair, causing her head to drop face first into the dirt. The ground had grown soggy from their spilled bodily fluids, and it squished against her mask, caking her exposed mouth and eyes. All three goblins laughed at her. Delphyne just barely maintained control, still feeding the flames with each breath she drew. She let them spread out, flowing through her veins to fill her entire body and suffuse her in their heat.

"Time for a good pet to earn another cum treat," said the goblin with the stick. Her face still buried in the mud, she couldn't see him, but she heard him tossing the stick away as his footsteps approached.

The dragon shook her head weakly, all her focus and mental energy directed at making the dragonfire obey. "Stay... back..." She was too close now to stop it.

"Aww, don't be afraid, pet," he said, unconcerned as he grabbed her hair like the first one had. "I will not hurt you. Just want to help a thirsty p-aaah!" He screamed and let go. Delphyne raised her head to see him cradling his burnt hand, blisters already forming at the palm.

The dragonfire raged within her, a visible glow beneath her skin now, and then it burst free, encasing her in dancing flame that made the goblins cry out in alarm. Every inch of her body blazed as she was transformed into a living torch. The dragonfire greedily consumed her, burning away flesh and bone until there was nothing left but the flame itself. The cords that had held her melted away, reduced to slag and ash.

And then the fire began to coalesce, white hot flames solidifying into green scales that gleamed in the light. The dragonfire took on a more concrete shape, one that towered before the trembling goblins. A winged shape that bristled with fangs and claws, and possessed a tail that swished along the ground.

Delphyne threw back her head and roared, back in her true form once more.

The dragon’s face no longer bore the mask, but she knew removing it wasn’t nearly that simple. It was enchanted to work even on creatures like her that could transform. The magic that would paralyze or kill her didn’t need the physical mask present to activate, and it would cover her features once more when she returned to her more diminutive appearance. But for now, it was just good to feel the air on her face again.

The goblins were trying to flee, and she let two of them run screaming. The one closest to her, though, who had burned his hand touching her, him she pinned to the ground as easily as a bug. A single paw lightly resting on his chest was enough to hold him still. She was pleased to see that her transformation hadn't further injured the creature despite his proximity. That was the danger inherent in drawing on dragonfire recklessly and with others around. If she'd tried to transform while distracted earlier, she probably would have burned all three of them to death in the process. Delphyne was a lot of things, many of them unpleasant, but she wasn't a murderer, and she wasn't going to let a few goblins change that.

"I can help you treat that burn in a minute," she told her captive, who was staring up at her in horror. "But first..." She leaned her head in close, until she was eye to eye with the cowering little man. "Let us talk about where I could find some more ribbons.”

**********

As the werewolf bore down on her, Vorona instinctively brought the knife up. The beast’s form shifted in midair, and Moonshine, human once again, fell on top of her, the impact loud and painful.

For a few seconds, both women were completely still. Moonshine’s eyes were closed, while Vorona’s were wide with horror and disbelief. “Moon…” she whispered. “Wha… why…?”

Moonshine looked down at herself, at the knife buried in her chest, and then she gave Vorona a gentle smile. “Thank you, hon. I knew I could count on you.” She rolled off of the woman to lay on her back, the knife hilt pointing up at the sky. Her lifeblood dripped slowly down her sides, more trickling from the wound with every breath. “Boy, that really smarts! Who woulda guessed that getting stabbed would… would hurt?” She giggled.

Vorona forced her body into motion, crawling to the woman’s side. “What did you **do**?” she asked. “I… why did you change?” Her father was screaming and ranting in her ear, telling her to just hurry up and take the ribbons and go, but she ignored him.  
  
“I’m a real good actress, huh?” Moonshine said. “Shoulda been on stage or something.” She coughed and then winced. “I wasn’t lying about being Silverclaw, or about my owner. He really did promise to make me meat if I lost again, and…” Her voice cracked, and the smile wavered. “I can’t do it,” she whispered, small and scared now. “I thought maybe I could, but I’m just not fast enough or smart enough or… I can’t win. And I don’t want to be meat.”

Her eyes clouded with tears. “I’ve seen what it’s like. The things they do to those poor girls, the things they make them do to themselves…” She trembled. “I only had one way out, and I’m sorry Vee, I’m so sorry, I, I didn’t have the courage to do it myself. Then I saw you here and it was just like ya said. I… I knew you would help.”

“You’re going to be okay, Moon,” Vorona said. Her eyes scanned the woman’s injury, trying to figure out what to do. She couldn’t remove the knife without killing her, but if she left it in, Moonshine would just die more slowly. “It-it looks bad, but you can recover! You’ll be fine, I promise! All you have to do is transform, alright? You’ll heal once you’re a wolf again.”  
  
Moonshine shook her head slowly, and the movement made her cough again. This time some blood came up, leaving little red droplets across her flesh. “Not a chance, hon. I’ve been a slave for so many years, and now I finally get to escape…” She lifted an arm slowly. “Sorry about your ribbons… thought it would make me more convincing. You… you can take them all when I’m gone… I ain’t gonna need them anymore…” She gave a little giggle. “I know I just tried to… to kill you and all, but would… would you mind doing me a favor?”

“I’ll do anything you want, Moonshine, anything,” Vorona urged, “if you just **change back!** ”

Moonshine ignored her. “Can you… can you stay until I’m gone? I know there’s not… not much time left in the round, but… I promise to be quick. I just… I just don’t want to be alone when it happens…”

“Then stay with me,” Vorona begged. “I don’t want to be alone either! We-we can be together, okay?”

“S-sorry, hon…” Moonshine whispered. “I can’t… can’t stay with you… It’s okay to hate me… but could…could I be selfish and… and ask you to call me Belle? Used to… used to be my name… I think…”

“I… I’ll tell you mine if you transform!” said the raven in desperation. “I’ll tell you everything about me and about my father and… but only if you transform, Belle!”

“That’s… almost tempting…” Belle admitted. “But… it’s too late now… even if I wanted… too weak to change anymore…” Her breathing was coming more slowly now, each intake seeming to take more effort than the last.

“No… no, please, Belle, please… i-it’s Nadia! My name is Nadia! Please… please you have to hold on…”

Belle smiled. “It’s… it’s nice to meet you, N… Nadia…” She let out a long breath. “I wasn’t… wasn’t lying about… last night… either… you’re the first… first person I… I was ever with that… that didn’t hurt…”

Her mask crumbled.

Nadia hugged the fallen woman. Her features were scarred and worn, but her expression was peaceful, and she was still smiling.

“Uh oh!” said Emmeck in her ear, his voice replacing her father’s angry ranting. “Look out folks, looks like Moonshine has taken an early exit! It’s a shame to see her go, but it’s good news for her pal Vorona: **look at all those points**!”

Nadia shuddered violently, and for a moment she almost lost control of herself completely. But then she recovered and began gently untying Belle’s ribbons. When she was done, she closed the woman’s eyes, kissed her softly, and then forced herself back to her feet, ignoring all of her body’s protests.

She was going to win this. For Belle.

**********

There was a puddle of cum beneath Seo-yun’s head by the time the second round of the gangrape was over, her hair utterly soaked in it. They’d done it all over again in this position: ten rapes of her cunt with ten sticky cocks to clean, then ten rapes of her ass with ten dirty cocks to clean. Her nipples were red and puffy from being pinched and prodded and twisted for two hours straight by every last goblin to penetrate her. Both women were weeping by now. Seo-yun didn’t know why the other fox wept, but she knew the reason for her own tears: because when it was over, when she’d finally fucked her fortieth cock and mouthed her fortieth load of cum for the day, she already knew that they were just going to flip them over. It was Seo-yun’s turn to be on top and have a bouncing, eager goblin riding her ass as he raped her, Snowflake’s turn to be squashed beneath while her hair was basted in goblin jizz.

Ten more rapes of her cunt. Ten more sticky cocks to clean. Ten more rapes of her ass. Ten more dirty cocks to clean. Seo-yun had been in day long gangrapes, but she’d never felt more fucked out in her life. Her lower holes were so raw that they ached and burned as badly as any past rape even when they weren’t in use, and so loose that the goblins had begun finding ways to keep her tight. They would spank her ass, pinch her clit, punch her in the kidneys, rake their nails down her back, anything to make her clench their hard cocks and get them ready to feed Snowflake more cum. As a real fox, Snowflake’s holes must have remained tight for them like Seo-yun’s couldn’t, but they didn’t spare her from any of the abuse either, delighting in making both women bite back screams of pain so that they could keep swirling their rapists’ cum around in their mouths.

Amid all this pain and humiliation of hours five and six, a curious thing happened. Snowflake was still fighting her every step of the way, making her defend every drop of cum she could get. At first Seo-yun had been angry, cursing the other fox for making them both keep up this struggle. She’d motivate herself to keep going by imagining how satisfying it would be to leave the woman to rot down here. But as time passed, her anger transformed into sympathy. Snowflake wasn’t doing it out of hatred. She could feel the way the woman shook in fear against her, taste the quiet tears that leaked from her eyes. She was doing it because she was scared and in pain and didn’t want to be here, just like Seo-yun. She’d finally remembered that Snowflake was a victim in this, too.

She felt she better understood now what the other women had discussed last night, about how their captors would make them try and hate each other. The Paradisium wanted them to forget that they were on the same side, get them to turn on each other instead of the people truly responsible for all their suffering. Seo-yun silently swore to herself that she would not. She had no intention of giving up and letting herself be trapped down here, but she refused to hate Snowflake for wanting the same thing.

Next they were laid on their sides. Seo-yun was too tired to even feel horrified at the discovery that it still wasn’t over with. Ten more rapes of her cunt. Ten more sticky cocks to clean. Ten more rapes of her ass. Ten more dirty cocks to clean. The goblins spooned them from the outside, caressing their fucktoys’ bodies in mock affection as their groins went smack-smack-smack against their hips, making the girls lift one leg up in the air so that they could be fucked at a better angle. They had to keep that leg held up in the exact position the goblins liked; whenever they let it slip even an inch, the others would stomp on their breasts and kick their stomachs and beat the soles of their feet long after the sobbing women had corrected their mistake. When it was time to feed them, the goblins sat on their necks and stuffed their cocks right down their throats, making both women gasp and choke as they desperately sucked the other’s scum off their rapist before they passed out. 

In the end, it was Snowflake that broke first. It wasn’t a large or dramatic thing. After they’d been fed their eightieth load of cum, they stood the women back up, both of them shaking and exhausted and soaked in goblin jizz. And then they’d brought out the ropes. When Snowflake saw them, saw that their ordeal wasn’t yet over, she’d whispered a single word before she could stop herself: “no”. A single word, but it made the cum in her mouth bubble up and spill down her chin in a torrent. In that single half-second moment of weakness, she’d lost nearly half the cum she’d worked so hard to gather and protect.

Seo-yun caught sight of the woman’s eyes, flat and dull, as the ropes were tied around their ankles to hang them upside down. They both knew that was it. While goblins began climbing on top of them so they could shove themselves into their gaping cunts, Snowflake continued their sloppy battle for cum, but the result was clear. Ten more rapes of her cunt. Ten more sticky cocks to clean. Ten more rapes of her ass. Ten more dirty cocks to clean. For this position they’d used floggers, beating the foxes’ backs bloody to improve their pussies and assholes. They’d connected their nipples together with clamps too, so that as their goblin rapists happily fucked them violently enough to make them swing back and forth in the air, the women would involuntarily yank and torture each other’s breasts. Both women moaned and cried their way to fifty pussy rapes, fifty anal rapes, and one hundred mouthfuls of cum.

“Fun times, yes?” asked one of the goblins when they were done. Seo-yun had no idea if it was the same one who’d talked to them in the beginning. “Time to see who is lucky, and who has to leave.” The two foxes were untied from their hanging position and forced to kneel once again while goblins brought out two large goblets. Even after Seo-yun spat out every drop that she could into her goblet, the wretched taste in her mouth hadn’t diminished by a hair. Her tongue and cheeks were so thoroughly coated that she was convinced nothing short of a pressure wash could clean them off by now. She could see that Snowflake was in the same state, her previously pink tongue now a dark gray.

The goblins all cheered when Seo-yun was declared the winner. They untied the ribbon and retied it around just her own neck, then passed her Snowflake’s goblet to join her own. “Present for the one who loves goblin cum so much,” one of them said. “Fill your belly with happiness before you go.” With her hands still bound, Seo-yun had to lower her head and carefully slurp the cum out of both goblets, not daring to risk them spilling over. While she worked through her disgusting liquid meal, the goblins got to work soaking all the cum on the floor with sponges. They would wring the sponges out into of the goblets, sometimes refilling them so high that they nearly overflowed. “You earned every drop,” they would say. “Our gift to the true cum lover.” They even wrung out her hair, her and Snowflake’s both, into the slimy goblets.

And then, finally, more than eleven hours since they’d fallen into the goblins’ trap, it was over. Seo-yun finished licking both goblets clean, her full stomach churning unhappily, and they let her stand up and untied her wrists, pressing her discarded backpack into her hands. It was intact, but they’d spent the day using it as a urinal, and it was still soaking wet with goblin piss and stank nearly as bad as she did. Snowflake was still kneeling on the ground a short distance away, her head downcast. She’d barely moved a muscle since they’d announced the winner. A few goblins were standing by over her, clearly watching to make sure she didn’t try anything. “Twenty minutes left” said one of the goblins. “Plenty of time for game.” He pushed something on the wall, and a door that she hadn’t seen before slid open to reveal a tunnel. “Leads to stairs,” he said. “Comes out aboveground.”

“Th… thank you,” Seo-yun said. Her mouth hurt so much that it was agony to force the words out. “Thank you… s-so much…” She got back down on her knees and knelt, bowing her head low to the ground, her tails splayed out behind her. “Th-thank you, thank you, thank you…” She swept her tails from side to side as she wiggled her butt like a good pet, thanking them over and over.

The goblins grinned at her subservience, and one of them even pet her head. “Good fucktoy,” he said warmly. “Good goblin cum drinker.”

Seo-yun stood up slowly. This was going to hurt. This was going to hurt a lot. “I’m leaving now, Snowflake,” she told the other fox. “I hope you’re ready for what happens next.” Snowflake groaned at her words and slumped to the floor, face down on her cum slick stomach. Some of the goblins snickered, many of them already hard once again. And then Seo-yun took off, sprinting down the tunnel.

She heard goblins gasp as Snowflake’s body slid across the floor behind her. Seo-yun’s tails weren’t nearly as strong as they used to be, and hauling the woman was a challenge even for all four of them. She could only push forward, forcing her tired muscles to behave while her tails gripped Snowflake’s invisible ones as hard as they could. While she’d been thanking the goblins, they hadn’t noticed her seeking the woman’s tails out with her own, using her sweeps back and forth as a way to quest for them. Snowflake had to have felt her grab hold of them, and Seo-yun had prayed that the woman would understand what she was planning. She couldn’t drag the woman out on just her own power, not quickly enough to keep the goblins from catching up to them, but with goblin cum for grease…

Seo-yun ran, hearing the sounds of goblins right behind them. She’d hoped that the tunnel would be short, but it seemed to stretch on and on. Every time her worn out body begged her to stop, she reminded it why it was so worn out in the first place. If they caught her, she’d spend a lot more than eleven hours down there. But even as she willed herself to keep going, a tiny part of her was amazed that it was actually working. She’d been tired before they’d even captured her, exhausted before the first hour was over. It was hard to believe she could even stand right now. But here she was, running at a dead sprint. Even in her true fox form, without the power of her _yeowu guseul_ she would have had trouble with a feat of endurance like this.

She didn’t have time to think about it. She could only run and run and run. By the time she finally reached the stairs, Snowflake had managed to get to her feet and was running alongside her. They dashed up the steps, taking them two at a time, while goblins cursed and shouted. At the top of the stairs was a hatch in the ceiling, and Seo-yun fumbled with it, needing several tries in her panic to properly operate the latch and swing it open. Both foxes climbed up, above ground at last, and quickly slammed the hatch shut behind them.

Almost immediately the hatch thumped, the goblins trying to force it open. The two women knelt on the doors, pushing them down, but the goblins kept pushing, forcing the hatch open more on each attempt as the foxes weakened. A goblin hand managed to slip through the gap and grab Seo-yun’s ankle before she could swat it away. “There is a fallen branch 1.3 meters away on your left,” Celeste said calmly in her ear. “It should be of sufficient thickness to bar the opening.”

Seo-yun lashed out with her tail, pulling the stick over. With Snowflake’s help she forced the stick through the handles of the hatch doors, and when they let go, the doors merely rattled as the goblins pushed from the other side. After a few seconds, even the rattling stopped, and the fox’s ears caught more muttered curses as the goblins began trudging back down the stairs. “I think… we’re safe,” Seo-yun said, panting, and then reconsidered. “As safe… as we can get… in here.” She let herself collapse to the jungle floor, chest heaving.

And then she groaned as Snowflake picked her up by the neck and slammed her up against a nearby tree. “What the hell is wrong with you, freak?!” the blue eyed fox snarled.

“I… I don’t…” Seo-yun couldn’t breathe. She tried to struggle free of the woman’s grip, but she was too exhausted to do anything but paw uselessly at the fox’s arm.

Snowflake pulled back, then slammed her against the tree again, her grip on Seo-yun’s throat like iron as it choked her. “Did you think you could blackmail me, huh? Push me into being your servant or slave from now on? Or did you expect to get down on my knees and thank you with my head between your legs?”

“Just… wanted… to… help…” whispered Seo-yun, her vision going black. She felt the familiar darkness of unconsciousness closing in on her.

And then Snowflake let go, and Seo-yun collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath. “I didn’t **need** your help, freak!” she snapped.

“Didn’t… say you…did…”

Snowflake glared at her, and for a second Seo-yun thought she was going to start choking her again. “Keep the damn ribbon,” she said instead. “I don’t care about this worthless fucking game anyway. This makes us even, understand? I don’t owe you **anything**!”

“Wait…” Seo-yun gasped. She still had so many questions to ask. But the fox was already stalking away, and from the way her invisible tails were kicking up dust behind her, she was in no mood to talk.

Seo-yun felt more tired than she had all day. Whatever sort of strength she’d felt or imagined she’d felt down in the tunnel, it was nowhere to be found. She wanted nothing more than to lay down, catch her breath, and take a nap. But she couldn’t stay still. The goblins were probably going to take another route aboveground and come back here. So she forced herself back to her feet instead.

“After your capture, I ceased communication because I did not think you would be successful in making it out,” said Celeste. Her voice was as calm as it always was, but there was the barest hint of hesitation in the way she spoke. “That was a misjudgment on my part. I will not make it again.”

Seo-yun made an okay sign with her fingers, then tapped her ribbon.

“Many of the challengers being eliminated today still possess only a single point, so your six will be sufficient to proceed to the next round,” Celeste said, understanding her mimed query. “I would recommend proceeding back to the elevator at this juncture. It is 192 meters north north-west of your current position. I will guide you.”

Seo-yun nodded and began the journey, moving as fast as her tired body could go. She could feel injuries all over her body, and none of them were healing. She might make it back, but she had no idea what she was going to do about tomorrow. As she trudged forward, she glanced at her palm, the one she had cut last night, and felt her heart skip a beat. Not enough time had passed for the cut to heal over, but there was no sign of it, and when she felt at her neck, the point where Ember’s fang had pierced her was once again unmarked skin.

She didn’t understand anything anymore.


	8. Gumiho

Gossamer drowned in a sea of pleasure as the goblins fucked her. At first, their cocks inside her had been a necessary evil, the price to be paid for the bliss their owners offered. But over time, whatever they'd injected in her had spread throughout her entire body, sparing not a single nerve ending. The friction of their warty shafts against her wet pussy walls made her cum. The feeling of fullness as they pushed into her aching guts made her cum. Even the way their thick cocks choked her, the way they felt hot and throbbing against her tongue, made her scream and gurgle in joy around them.

Somewhere along the way they'd begun to hurt her. The ones in her ass enjoyed spanking her, happily beating her ass black and blue while they stuffed it. Those who used her pussy would yank out tufts of pubic hair, or pull on her pussy lips. And everyone in her mouth tugged her golden hair this way and that, nearly ripping it out by the roots in their eagerness to face fuck her. It felt awful and wonderful at the same time. The way their abuse stimulated her body didn't erase the pain, or help her ignore it. The pleasure of it all simply coexisted alongside the agony of their rough use, so much greater that whenever her mouth wasn't too full to speak, the only reason she didn't abandon all trace of fae dignity and beg them to stop was that she was too busy begging them to hurt her more, to fuck her harder, to utterly ruin her body.

The butterfly woman barely even noticed when they took the vibrators off of her. They pinched and licked and bit instead, teasing and torturing her in equal measure. When they used the piercing needle on her chest, she came both times. When the first goblin viciously tugged on her new rings, using them as leverage to better fuck her throat, she came even harder. She'd wept with gratitude and terror when she felt the piercing needle touch her clitoris next, and when they used that third ring to twist and stretch her sensitive love button, she had never loved or hated anyone more.

It was many hours before the injections began to wear off and her sanity returned. What was left of it. She was a quivering, squirming, shaking wretch of a woman, soaked inside and out with goblin cum, drool running down her chin as her tongue lolled out. At any other time she would have been disgusted with herself, humiliated to be acting like a braindead, cock addicted slut when she was supposed to be the very essence of elegance and refinement. And in truth, she **was** disgusted, and she **was** humiliated. Gossamer had never felt more miserable in her life. But that didn't matter. What mattered was cumming.

"More," she begged, panting, humping the air with her ass even though no one was using her anymore. "More more more!" She sucked at her cheeks, trying to show them what a good fuckhole her mouth would be.

"Good pet," said the first goblin. "Easy to break, eager to please. Good summer pet. Time to choose." He held up two vials, one of yellow, one of green. "This is what we gave you," he told her, waving the yellow. "Lasts ten hours. Enough supply to play until game is over." He waved the green. "Lasts forever. No cure."

Gossamer tried to snatch the green vial from him, but her hands were too weak to even close into a fist. "Gimme!" she pleaded, pawing at his arm. "Gimme! I'm good summer pet!"

He held the vials away from her, smiling at her feeble attempts. "We make deal. Special deal for summer pets. We buy you from your owner. You swear to be obedient pet forever and ever. You sleep on ground, you live on cum. You will be lowest of low in Unseelie Court. Toilet, fuckpet, paintoy, slave, to all Unseelie that want you, until end of time. And you get the green."

"Yes!" she said. "Yes yes yes!"

"Good pet," he said approvingly, and began to prepare the syringes. Gossamer shut her eyes and waited impatiently for oblivion.

**********  
  


Delilah didn't know how much longer she could run. Her legs felt heavy as cinder blocks as she forced them to keep moving, one after the other. Behind her, goblins hooted and yelled as they chased their prey.

She'd tried her best, she really had. It had been easy to evade the dogs yesterday, and she'd ended the day proud of her eight ribbons. But today was different: between the traps and the goblin hunting bands, she hadn't managed to get her hands on a single red ribbon yet. It had been all she could do just to avoid capture. Running was the one thing she'd always been good at; she'd never met anyone or anything faster than her, and even as more and more goblins had taken up the chase, her speed had never let her down. She'd seen some of the girls who hadn't been so quick, spotted them writhing in bondage while the goblins enjoyed them. The ones who saw her looking always gave her such desperate stares, wordlessly begging for rescue, but there was nothing she could do for them. All Delilah could do was keep running.

"It's been a fantastic day folks, but all good things must come to an end!" announced Emmeck. "And our girls must know all about that, since so many of them are getting cum from both ends, haha! As we approach the last few seconds, the magnificent Ember holds onto the lead with fifty seven points, but Vorona is hot on her heels with forty nine! On the other side of the scoreboard, Ginger is clinging to safety with six points after her thrilling escape from the guards, and her even more thrilling twenty goblin gangbang! She's gotta be awfully sore right now, but there's a lot of contestants out there who'd love to take her place. If anyone is going to dazzle us at the last minute, girls, you'd better get to it, because round two wraps up in ten! Nine!"

Delilah's heart lurched as the countdown to the end of the round continued. She had to find a ribbon! She still had a few seconds, she just had to keep running. All she needed was one, one single red ribbon, please...

"That's all, folks!" yelled Emmeck, and Delilah's limbs suddenly stopped working. She collapsed to the ground like a marionette with the strings cut, her rabbit mask already dust, not even able to scream as she laid face down in the dirt. "To all our girls without red ribbons: hope we see you again next year!"

Hands rolled her over, and an ugly grinning goblin sat himself down on her stomach. "Good chase, rabbit. You made us run for **very** long time." His hands sank into her large breasts and he began kneading them happily, molding and deforming her flesh beneath his greasy fingers. "Fat plump rabbit."

Two goblins grabbed hold of her feet and started dragging Delilah painfully across the ground, stones and roots digging into her back as she passed over them. "Time to go back home, rabbit," said the goblin riding on top of her. His cock vanished into the valley of her breasts, head popping out the other end. Her paralysis was the only thing that kept her from squealing in pain as he pinched her nipples sharply so he could start scrubbing his shaft with her tits. "Go home and play lots of games with the rabbit that ran so fast. Days of fun to be had with the plump rabbit that made us chase her for hours instead of playtime."

Delilah felt a tear run down her cheek, and the goblin laughed at the sight. "Don't worry, we not angry you run! We happy! Running means good strong muscles." He stopped titfucking her just long enough to reach back and rub her pussy affectionately. "We **love** pets with good strong muscles."

**********

"Ugggggggh!" Qarinah groaned and rubbed her muscles as she entered the elevator shaft. "Today was the **worst**!" The rest area looked identical to the one from last night, save for a pink post-it note on the television that read "Vandalism of Paradisium property may result in disqualification".

Most of the others hadn't come back yet. Crikey had turned on the stove and was trying to cook something using some of the TV dinners as a base. From the way it smelled, she wasn't having much success, but she seemed to be enjoying herself, dancing in place as she stirred the pan. Betty was assisting her; the faux catgirl had gathered together what few spices were available, and was mixing some together in a bowl. Occasionally she would lean down and sniff it, or lick some off of her finger, then nod and start adding more items. "Hope you ain't need to use the shower just yet, love," called the koala without looking. "The fox and the otter each commandeered a bathroom when they got in here, and boy howdy, did they need it! Looked they'd both gone swimming in gobbo spunk."

A shower did sound like an excellent idea right now. Not because she was lucky enough to be covered in goblin cum, but because she'd spent all day, all dang day, traipsing around the jungle without a hint of luck. She was sweaty, frustrated and horny as heck right now. Qarinah gave the closed bathroom doors a regretful look, then flopped into an armchair in the main area to wait her turn. Vorona was lying on the couch, her back propped up by an armrest, with Delphyne bent over her, examining her right arm. The raven woman looked like she'd had a rough time of it today, her beautiful black wings stained with dirt and blood. "What do you mean it isn't broken?" she asked, her tone weary.

Delphyne straightened up and dusted off her hands. "I mean what I said. The limb is not broken. Nor is it sprained. It does appear to have been dislocated recently, but it is better now. Did someone pop it back into place for you?"

  
Vorona laughed, and it was a hollow, bitter sound. "Popped back into place... yeah, someone helped me out..."

One of the bathroom doors cracked open, steam billowing from the opening, and Ginger stepped out. The Paradisium hadn't provided them with any towels, so the fox's skin was still covered with beads of water, but there was no sign of the filth Crikey had mentioned. The poor girl seemed exhausted, limping slightly as she made her way to one of the seats.

Qarinah stood up, not wanting to waste her chance to claim a bathroom. "Dibs, please! I want to get in there before the rush. If anyone raises a fuss, tell them I'm going as fast as I can."

"There will be no rush," Delphyne told her, examining Vorona's wings. "You may take your time."

The succubus giggled. "No rush? Delphy, did you forget how backed up things got last night? I had to wait an entire hour just to get in and brush my teeth. Sure, I didn't mind the chance to savor the taste of dog a little longer, but still! Once everyone else gets here, they-"  
  
"There will be no rush," Delphyne repeated, her words soft but firm. "No one else is coming." She pointed a finger behind her, towards the television.

The screen was split into four parts, and each one showed a woman suffering. Every few seconds one of the quadrants would change, showing another woman, and another, and another, each picture retelling a similar story. Many were bound, most looked like they'd been tortured... all of them looked miserable. Even the women wearing expressions of pleasure, the ones shuddering and screaming in constant climax, had dead eyes revealing the despair hidden beneath as they were raped and beaten and humiliated by their assailants. And Qarinah knew them all. Not well, some only by name or by the masks they no longer wore, but she knew them. She'd talked to them, eaten with them, seen them laugh and smile, and now... the succubus looked away, nauseated. She'd known this game wasn't going to be fun for the others the way it was for her, but there was a difference between knowing it rationally, and seeing the misery with her own eyes.

"Sorry you're having a bad day," Vorona said flatly, her own eyes as dead as any on screen.

  
Qarinah looked around. Herself, Vorona, Delphyne, Crikey, Ginger, Snowflake, Betty... "Is this really all that's left?" she asked. Just a few hours ago there had been more than twenty women here. "Even Ember?"

"Ember is in her bunk," Delphyne told her. "I gather she has no interest in socializing with the enemy."

"What about Moon?" Qarinah asked, lighting up. "She wasn't on the TV! And look, there's still another five minutes left before they close the doors. I bet she'll be back any second now!" The wolf's presence would cheer Vorona up if nothing else, and the poor woman looked like she needed it. Their puppy love had been absolutely adorable last night, and it would be just the thing to improve the somber atmosphere that had fallen over everyone.

"Belle is dead," Vorona said. The words came out with no emotion or intonation, only a great heaviness that seemed to swallow up the room.

"oh," Qarinah said in a small voice. She didn't want to be here. This wasn't fun anymore. "How... how did she...?"

"They killed her," the raven woman said. "The system. The Paradisium. Her owner. All of them. They murdered her slowly."

"What's wrong, lion girl?" asked Snowflake acerbically, fresh out of the shower herself. "Not enjoying the buffet as much as you thought you would? Reality getting in the way of your sex romp?"

"Do not speak to her that way," Delphyne said. "None of this is Qarinah's fault."

"Oh yeah?" retorted Snowflake. "So you think, what, she was out backpacking and stumbled onto this place? How long have you known the Paradisium existed, Qarinah? You ever try to stop it? Try to rescue anybody?"

"I, I didn't...I don't like what goes on in this place any more than you do," said Qarinah, "but I am only one person. There's nothing I can do stop them, and I'd only bring down trouble on myself."

"Right." Snowflake gave her a smile full of vinegar. "Isn't it so nice and convenient when there's nothing any one person can do about a problem? Makes it easy for everyone to do nothing at all and blame everyone else for it."

"That is **enough**!" Delphyne said, the dragon angrier than Qarinah had ever seen her. "We agreed not to hate each other, remember?"

"Sorry," said Snowflake. "I wasn't part of your little singalong last night. I think Ember had the right idea: you people are a waste of time." She vanished into the sleeping area.

"I, I don't think she means it," said Ginger, not sounding as though she believed her own words. "She just had a rough day today."  
  
"Yes," said Delphyne, trying to calm down. "It was a rough day for all of us." Everyone was silent for a long while after that, stewing in their own pain.

"Rub-a-dub-dub, it's time for some grub!" Crikey called out from the kitchen. She and Betty came out carrying plates heaped high with strange looking food, which they began to set down on a coffee table. "Get while it's hot! This one is mashed tater dumplings, and over here we got some green bean pasta with meatballs, and I combined some of the frozen pizzas to make something I call a pizza quesadilla that's gonna make me millions someday."

"I'd never made falafel out of frozen baked beans before, meow," said Betty as she set her own plates down. "I'm... still not sure if I have, meow. I also found something called jell-o that frightened me, so I have put it very far away, meow."

Nobody made any move towards the food. "Thank you, both of you," Qarinah said politely. "But, I don't think any of us have any appetite right now."

"Why, cuz a bunch of horrible things happened to folk that didn't deserve any of it?" Crikey asked, straightening up. "You lot'll starve to death waiting for a day when **that** don't happen." She spread her arms wide. "Eat. Tomorrow it's gonna be some of us up on that screen, or worse. But it ain't happened yet." She glanced around their morose expressions and sighed. "Look, I may not know what the future holds, but I can promise you this much: the eight of us will never get to share another night like tonight again. We're safe, and we're together, and there's food enough for everybody. Don't waste a moment of it."

Ginger was the first to approach the plates. She hesitantly picked up one of the dumplings, which were oddly shaped and unnaturally colored, and took a small bite. Her eyes closed and her four tails quivered. "It's **good** ," she breathed. "It's delicious!" She quickly finished the dumpling and moved onto the other foods. "Mmmmm! I've never eaten anything like this before!"

"I'd find it more than a mite weird if you ever had, to be honest with ya," Crikey admitted. She began to fix a plate of food for herself, and Betty followed suit. Soon everyone was eating, and Qarinah was surprised to find everything was just as good as Ginger had claimed.

"How did you do this?" she asked wonderingly. "I... I ate all of these things last night, and the nicest thing I could say about any of them was that they didn't kill me."

"Don't look at me," said Crikey. "I just tossed a bunch of different stuff together to see what would happen." The koala pointed at Betty. "She's the chef."

The catgirl blushed under the attention. "I used to cook, meow," she said simply. "It was good to do it again, meow."

Qarinah found herself feeling much better once she began eating, and she wasn't alone. People began to smile and talk, and even Vorona didn't look as despondent as before, though she often had a distant look in her eyes. "Your tails are quite beautiful," Delphyne told Ginger. "But it must be difficult to manage them all, yes? I have only the one, and it causes me no end of trouble." Her thin, leathery tail swung back and forth as she spoke, brushing the floor with each pass.

Ginger smiled a little. "When I was much younger, they were a terror," she agreed. "As a small kit, I was constantly tripping over them. Mother told me once that I would find no greater danger in the forest than my own feet and tails, and Father used to carry me whenever we traveled any great distance." Her expression turned wistful. "Even after I learned to walk and run without difficulty, he would always let me ride on his back."

"So you were born with more than just the one, then?" Crikey asked. "I always kinda figured foxes started at one and then went up from there."

Ginger shook her head. "No, I was born with all of them. I used to have even more, but..." Her face clouded. "The man who captured me didn't think I deserved them."

The dragon laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I am so sorry this has happened to you. The cruelty of some is unimaginable. It is not enough for them to own others, they must ruin them as well, for no reason other than their own sadism."

"I..." Ginger looked away for a moment, as though struggling to find the words. "I'm grateful for your sympathy, Delphyne," she said slowly. "But... I don't want to think of myself as ruined. Damaged certainly, but I'd like to think that I can be more than my scars."

"Y-y-you are right," Delphyne stammered, completely flustered. "I, I should never have said such a thing. It was thoughtless."

  
"It was kindness," Ginger said. "And it was appreciated."

"Are they truly gone forever, meow?" Betty asked. The faux catgirl was back in the kitchen, separating dividing the remaining untouched food onto two plates in case Ember and Snowflake changed their minds about eating. "I have heard many stories of kitsune gaining tails through wisdom, meow. Could they have been foxes like yourself whose tails were restored through some effort, meow?"  
  
"I... I don't know," Ginger said. "I don't even know what..." She went silent, staring down at her plate.

The meal was almost finished when Delphyne turned to Qarinah. "If it will not cause offense, may I ask a sensitive question?"

"Of course," Qarinah encouraged, and tried to give her a soft smile. "You couldn't offend me if you tried, Delphyne."

"You have said before that you came here as a sort of vacation," the dragon said. "But what inspired you to come specifically to a place like the Paradisium? You must have understood that there were dangers involved, and if your only goal was sex, even rough sex, I am certain a beautiful woman like yourself you could find willing partners easily enough."

"That's true," the lion said, and considered how much she wanted to share. "And you're right. An ugly place like this certainly wouldn't have been my first choice, especially when it means having to separate from my dear husband for a time."

"Husband?" Crikey asked. "Is he your..." She waved a finger at her receiver.

"Yes, he is my handler." Qarinah sighed, picturing his face. "I'll confess, sometimes I wish I'd told him to just stay home and wait for me. To hear his voice but be unable to see or touch him is its own torture. Anyway, I wouldn't have come here normally, but I was... invited."

"Invited, meow?" Betty asked, sounding confused. Qarinah got the impression that the others were equally mystified.

"Invited," she said again. "The message told me that I would find joy and purpose if I came here and participated in the Paradisium Game. It was sent by someone that I'd never met, but they knew certain... certain details about me, and about my past. I must admit, it piqued my curiosity and then some. I was hoping that I would get the opportunity to meet them when I came here, and find out how they knew so much about me, but it seems it was not to be."

"I have never heard of someone being invited to play in the Game," Delphyne mused. "Did the sender provide a name?"  
  
"Yes, but only a first name, I'm afraid," Qarinah told her. "Tanya."

Vorona choked on the dumpling she was eating, and then began to cough violently. "You alright there, Vee?" Crikey asked. "You know who this Tanya woman might be?"

The raven coughed a few more times. "No," she said quietly once she'd recovered, her head down. What little spirit had returned to her during the meal was gone. "I don't... no, I don't know anything. Sorry."

Qarinah could tell that the girl was lying. But she also knew that Vorona had been through a truly terrible day, and Qarinah was the last person to berate someone for keeping secrets. The girl would tell her what she knew on her own time, if and when she was ready.

"Are you alright, meow?" Betty asked Ginger. It was only then that the succubus realized that the redhaired woman was still staring down at her empty plate, and had been for some time.

Ginger started in response, as if she'd just been woken up from a nap. "Huh? No, I just, um, there's something I have to do." She looked up and met Betty's eyes. "Thank you for the meal, truly. It was wonderful." She turned to Crikey. "And thank you as well." She rose from her seat and made a beeline to the sleeping area.

"Huh," the koala said, watching her go. "Strange girl."

Delphyne let out a small laugh. "I do not believe any of us here are what would be considered normal. But... I would hope that I may consider you my friends." There was a note of trepidation in her voice. "United by our common trial, if nothing else."

"Absolutely!" Crikey said cheerfully, and held up her glass of tap water. "I consider you all to be the finest of folks, and there's no one I'd rather be trapped in the bowels of the Earth with." She raised her voice. "That includes you too, Ginger! And even the pair of sourpusses in there!" She drained her drink.

*********

Ember focused on breathing in and out slowly, not allowing herself to make any sounds of pain as she listened to the people talking in the other room. That otter girl had gone to her own bunk a little while ago, and Ember had to assume her hearing was good enough to pick up everything she was doing. Her nose caught the scent of cooked food and her stomach rumbled softly. She'd forced down a few bites of half frozen garbage when she'd first made it back to the elevator, but she was still starving. She hadn't stopped moving all day, pushing herself to the breaking point to get ribbon after ribbon, and now she was paying for it. Everything hurt, and her muscles were so stiff that she wasn't certain she could walk even if she tried. At least she'd been able to extinguish her hair for the night, but her scalp throbbed with a terrible headache to make up for it.

She ignored her body's demands to eat, just as she ignored the urges to gasp for breath and to cry out. She couldn't show herself among the others right now, couldn't let any of them see or hear how vulnerable she really was. Ember the phoenix champion was supposed to be perfect and invincible, defeating every challenge effortlessly. No one could be allowed to see the toll it all took on her. Yesterday she'd been able to mask it for a time, but even then she'd spent most of the evening recovering in bed, letting everyone else assume that she was just being aloof.

By tomorrow morning she would be better, especially if she got up early enough to eat some breakfast before the others woke. She'd still be tired and sore, but not so much that she couldn't hide her weakness. Compared to the constant grueling torture of her normal life, enduring five days of this was nothing.

"Snowflake?" asked a voice, and Ginger walked in. Ember tensed at the sight of the woman. She hadn't said anything about Ember to the others, not yet, but that didn't mean anything. The first two or three days of the game were always about gathering points and identifying threats. Once the herd had thinned and you'd seen what the others were capable of, that was when the real contest started and it became time to strike. Ginger was no doubt hoping to eliminate the phoenix without making herself the new target. She'd wait until the last minute, when she could not only eliminate her, but steal all the points Ember had accumulated so far and seize the lead herself without giving the others time to stop her.

Ember had seen that sort of strategy before, even used it herself. And the truth was that Ginger could pull it off if she tried. The way the woman healed was remarkable, and the reason Ember had tried to eliminate her yesterday by cutting her arms open. The game was an endurance contest as much as anything else, and she'd known from the moment she saw the way Ginger's wounds were healing that the fox was going to be one of her biggest threats. Discovering that the girl knew her greatest secret had only strengthened her conviction.

"Leave me alone, freak,"grumbled Snowflake. "Didn't we spend enough time together today?"  
  


"I, I have questions," Ginger said nervously. "Please, there are things I need to know. About kitsune."

The otter didn't answer immediately. "And that information is worth a lot to you?"

"Yes! I, um, you can have all my points."

The otter snorted. "What, all six of them? I'll need a lot more than a few fucking points, freak." Her bunk creaked as she rose to her feet. "But yeah, we can make a deal. Come with me." Both women walked out of the room, leaving Ember by herself.

Ember almost allowed herself a single shuddering gasp of breath once she was alone, but she resisted. It wasn't worth the risk.

So Ginger had already begun making alliances. She probably thought that she had this in the bag, but Ember wouldn't go down so easily. Her sole advantage now, and one in ironic contrast to her usual veneer of perfection, was that the fox underestimated her. Ginger believed that she could wait for a time and place of her own choosing to eliminate the false phoenix. She wouldn't be expecting a frail human to strike first, and this time Ember wouldn't hold back.

Tomorrow one of them was going to die. And it **wasn't** going to be Ember.

**********

Snowflake didn't taste the same as Mrs Wilmingshire. Her flesh was ever so slightly saltier, and once Seo-yun had begun to coax her juices to flow, they were noticeably thicker and sweeter than her mistress's.

The two of them were in one of the shower stalls. Snowflake sat with her back to the wall, knees up and legs spread, while Seo-yun laid flat on her stomach with her head between the dark haired woman's legs. "I thought you said you knew how to eat pussy, freak," the fox complained, and Seo-yun squealed into Snowflake's slit as one of her invisible tails came down on her ass cheeks, hitting as hard as any lash. The pain continued to linger afterward, and the redhead could tell without looking at the welt wasn't healing. "I agreed to answer questions in exchange for orgasms, but I'm not going to wait all night!"

It hadn't taken Seo-yun long to wonder if she'd made the wrong decision in agreeing to Snowflake's deal. At first, it had seemed like a miracle when the taciturn fox offered to provide information in exchange for both her ribbons and being pleasured. Seo-yun had plenty of experience with her mistress, and a few minutes of submission had sounded like a small price to pay.

The first red flag had been when Snowflake insisted they do it in private, using one of the bathrooms. Seo-yun's frequent rapes were almost always public and with witnesses; she'd long ago lost any sense of shame at having sex in front of others. Acting in secret meant that if Snowflake wanted to abuse her power of her, the other women would not be there to stop her.

The second red flag was when Snowflake demanded that Seo-yun be restrained while it happened. Seo-yun had tried to persuade her to change her mind, but the fox had made it perfectly clear: bondage or no deal. And so she had reluctantly given in. She was aware the experience was likely to be an unpleasant one, but she needed answers.

Seo-yun pulled her head back and shimmied forward on her stomach so she could reposition her face to get deeper into Snowflake's pussy, not for the first or last time cursing the fox mask that made things difficult. She couldn't use her hands because they were bound behind her with her own tail, an unpleasantly familiar sensation. Her legs were similarly bent back and tied together at the ankle. She couldn't do anything but squirm from this current position. Squirm and lick.

The tail whip snapped across Seo-yun's cheeks again, and she quickly pushed her tongue into the woman's folds. For all of the fox's complaints about Seo-yun's poor performance, her insides were hot and sticky, and she heard the woman moan softly as her tongue found a sensitive spot.

Seo-yun froze when she felt something press against her own pussy, hard and thick and not at all lifelike. "Nobody... told you to stop," breathed Snowflake. Seo-yun whimpered quietly and got back to it as the fox continued working the head of a shampoo bottle into her.

"Look at how wet you are, freak," accused Snowflake. "If you told me you get off this hard on eating women out, I would've reconsidered. We're here to make me happy, not you. Cum without permission and the deal's off."

Seo-yun wanted to deny finding even the slightest enjoyment in what she was doing, but she couldn't refute the woman's words. She could hear the soft slick sounds her pussy made as she was penetrated.

When the bottle was mostly in, Snowflake released it, giving Seo-yun just a moment of relief. Then she felt the tail wrap around one of her two remaining free ones instead, and tap it against the base of the foreign invader. Seo-yun got the message and began using her own tail to fuck herself with the shampoo bottle.

Snowflake's juices were flowing freely now, and the dark haired woman seized Seo-yun's head with both hands, grinding the woman's face against her wet slit. Seo-gulped down the thick cream as quickly as she could while running her tongue over throbbing flesh. Another hard strike across her backside reminded her that she needed to keep fucking her own pussy with the bottle too.

Snowflake purred in pleasure, seeming to derive as much enjoyment in Seo-yun's discomfort and pain as she did from the physical stimulation. The fox was used to being a receptacle for sadists, even if they'd always been men in the past, and made no attempt at stoicism. She freely whimpered and cried out in response to her harsh treatment, letting her reactions excite the woman and finish her faster.

Snowflake moaned. "That's it... you pathetic little freak." Her tail wrapped around Seo-yun's, taking control of the shampoo bottle once more so she could ram it in and out of the woman, fucking her as hard and fast as any cock had ever done. Another tail began repeatedly whipping her ass, alternating cheeks with each strike. "Make me cum... let me hear you scream as you... as you make me..." She let out a long, loud groan, body rigid and quivering as the orgasm hit her. Her thighs locked painfully tight around Seo-yun's head, ensuring the woman had no choice but to keep licking and licking, pussy juice running down her chin, as the other fox rode out her orgasm.

"That... that had been far too long..." panted Snowflake when it was over. She relaxed, letting go of the shampoo bottle and ceasing the whipping, but her hands remained on the back of Seo-yun's head, keeping her pressed to her crotch. "I don't intend to... wait nearly as long for the next...". The fox humped herself against the other's face. "Didn't tell you to stop, freak..."

Seo-yun tried to resist and pull her head away, but the other woman was far stronger, and she had to settle for speaking into Snowflake's pussy instead. "Question!"

"I didn't forget," said Snowflake irritably. "What, did you think we were going to pause so I could wheel out a blackboard and chalk? Ask your first question now, and I'll tell you while you work towards earning the next one." Her tail snapped down across Seo-yun's well beaten ass, and the woman quickly resumed pumping the bottle and licking.

What to ask? Seo-yun understood now the full price of this information, and knew that she had to make every question count. Should she ask about a way to restore her tails? Or the secrets of foxfire? Or why her healing had become so unreliable? There were too many things she didn't know. But one question stood out among them. She still remembered what Snowflake had said, just before they'd fallen into the trap. She'd told the woman that she wasn't a fox, and it had sounded like more than a meaningless insult. "What am I?"

"Other than a piss poor cunt licker, you mean? That's a loaded question, freak, and it's gonna cost more than one orgasm for the full answer. You used to be a gumiho." Seo-yun nodded. "And then, like a colossal idiot, you gave away your foxfire." Seo-yun shook her head this time, disheartened to see that Snowflake wasn't as knowledgeable as she'd hoped. Seo-yun had never possessed foxfire in the first place, much less given it away. Snowflake let out an ugly laugh. "Dumb bitch. Do you even know what a gumiho is?" Seo-yun began to nod again, hesitated, and shook her head instead.

"I knew it. You really are stupid, aren't you? If it wasn't for having tits and holes, nobody would care the slightest about your existence." Seo-yun felt small and miserable under the woman's scorn, but all she did was flick her tongue against Snowflake's slit, making her abuser shiver in pleasure.

"You are what you eat, freak, and you, moron that you are, decided it was a good idea to eat humans." Snowflake abruptly yanked the shampoo bottle out of Seo-yun's pussy with her tail, leaving her insides still twitching around empty space. "You're enjoying that too much, cunt licker." She turned it around and pressed the base of the bottle, much thicker than the head and still completely dry, against the fox's asshole. "Try that instead. And I'm sick of your fucking laziness: I catch you slacking off and QA time is over."

Seo-yun whimpered as the bottle forced her anal ring to stretch to accommodate it, the corners digging painfully into her skin. Snowflake stopped once the first half inch of it was in, leaving Seo-yun to force the rest of it in by herself. Her rectum was still raw and bruised from their all day gangrape, and the dry surface of the bottle felt like sandpaper as it scraped her walls.

"Your tongue would fall off before you made me cum enough times to earn a full explanation of the metaphysics, so I'll cut to the chase. You eat humans and you're not just ingesting their flesh, you're ingesting their soul. And your immune system treats human souls like any other foreign invasion: quarantine. Wraps them up in a bubble of foxfire so they can't cause any damage." Snowflake reached down and pinched Seo-yun's nose shut. "You get to breathe again after I cum," she informed the fox, her other hand easily keeping Seo-yun's head restrained.

Seo-yun didn't waste time struggling. She just kept lapping the women's wet pussy, ignoring her body's own demands. Prioritizing someone else's pleasure over her own life was second nature by now. As she meekly ate Snowflake out, however, her mind was thundering over what she'd just heard. A bubble of foxfire? Her yeowu guseul had been her **foxfire**?

"It's not a perfect solution," Snowflake said. "Your foxfire can't do much of anything while it's busy protecting you from your own terrible decisions. And that hunger you used to have, the gnawing need for more human flesh? That was all the souls inside your foxfire struggling to escape it, pushing you to increase their numbers. Every time you gave in like the spineless addict you were, they grew stronger, became harder to resist the next time."

Seo-yun was literally drowning in the fox's juices by now, too busy licking her to swallow. It puddled in her mouth and dribbled out the sides. Like before, as Snowflake neared climax she took over with the bottle. This time that meant ramrodding her bleeding asshole, making Seo-yun scream, pussy juice sputtering from out her lips, as the woman came hard.

Seo-yun's body jerked as Snowflake ripped the shampoo bottle out of her. "Filthy freak," she said distastefully. She yanked Seo-yun's head back by the hair and stuffed the bottle down her throat. "Clean up your mess." The fox obeyed, sucking the traces of her ass off the bottle.

"You'd have to be a real fucking idiot to become a gumiho, but it isn't all bad. Human souls have power of their own, and when they're wrapped up in foxfire they're like a squishy little battery that can make you faster, stronger, tougher. I didn't tell you to stop pleasuring me, freak. **Or** to stop cleaning your buttplug." Seo-yun hesitated, confused about what to do, and Snowflake sighed loudly. "You have tails, don't you? Some, anyway."

Seo-yun bent one of her two free tails back and stroked it across Snowflake's slit, making the woman purr in pleasure. "Mmmm, that's right, a soft warm dildo just for me. Get it up in there, freak, nice and gentle." The tip of her tail penetrated the woman, and Seo-yun slowly pushed it forward, sinking deeper into her pussy. "All the way in."

Seo-yun cautiously fucked Snowflake's pussy with her tail while her tongue scraped against the sides of the shampoo bottle wedged in her mouth. A thrust slightly harder than the woman liked earned the fox five more cruel lashes across her ass. "Keep it slow and steady, idiot! Be a proper fucktoy for your mistress."

Snowflake waited until Seo-yun had established an acceptable rhythm before proceeding. "Your problem, freak, is that you were stupid enough to give away your foxfire, along with all the souls it was storing. And your foxfire can't grow back unless you're in your true form. And since I imagine you also lost your skin, which only a completely braindead moron would do..." she shrugged. "No more foxfire for you, ever."

Seo-yun didn't realize she was crying until she felt the warm tears drip off of her chin and onto her front. So it was true. Levinson had not only stolen her body, he had taken away her foxfire. No, in the end she had given it to him. She **was** an idiot.

"But all **that** , " Snowflake said, "is not why you're a freak. Now play with my clit. I want to cum watching your fat tears dribbling from those whiny eyes. Pathetic crybaby."

Seo-yun's other tail brushed over the fox's clitoris, and then she screamed as her own clit was slapped hard by a tail of Snowflake's. "Get it right, freak ," hissed Snowflake. "And spit out that shampoo bottle: you look fucking ridiculous." She raised her hips slightly. "Use that mouth to eat out my ass instead."

Seo-yun was disgusted by the idea, but she'd come too far to turn back now. She wasn't sure if Snowflake would even allow her to stop at this point. So she let the shampoo bottle fall out of her mouth, then ran her tongue over the fox's anus. She grimaced at the awful taste, then poked her tongue in deeper and got to work. "Eyes up!" Snowflake demanded, punctuating the command with three more lashes. "Keep those wet teary eyes on me while you work."

As Seo-yun licked Snowflake's guts clean and fucked Snowflake's pussy with her tail, careful not to break eye contact, she quickly learned how the woman liked her clit treated. Gentle circular strokes at the same measured pace. Not too fast, not too slow. Every mistake earned Seo-yun's clit another painful slap. After only a couple minutes, it was sore and throbbing, which only made each further strike more painful.

"See that?" Snowflake said. Her hands were under Seo-yun's body, roughly groping her tits. "Even a stupid freak like you can get something right if you have an owner that treats you properly. Now fuck me harder. Harder!" She shook in ecstasy. "That's it, freak! Sob your tears and eat out my ass and play with... play with my... ahhhhhhhh... "

Seo-yun kept licking Snowflake's ass and stimulating her pussy and clit as the woman enjoyed her orgasm. When Snowflake calmed down, the first thing she did was wrap an invisible tail around Seo-yun's throat and push her away. "I want that tongue back in my pussy, but you need a wash first, shit breath." She picked up a thick bar of soap. "Open."

Seo-yun obeyed, and gagged hard as the woman began scrubbing the inside of her mouth with the soap. Snowflake's ass had tasted better. Even the goblin cocks at their filthiest hadn't tasted so awful. "So you decided, in your infinite wisdom, to eat another human even after you lost your foxfire," Snowflake said as she kept grinding the bar of soap against the fox. "There's a **reason** your foxfire quarantines souls, idiot."

She shoved the entire bar of soap in Seo-yun's mouth, then wrapped a tail around her head as a makeshift gag. "Chew. Slowly. I'll tell you when you can swallow. " It turned to mush between Seo-yun's teeth, plastering itself all over her cheeks and tongue. "You're not a fox anymore, and you're not a human either. You're something lower than both now, a self combusting freak of nature. Two souls in a physical container that was only built for one. That loose human soul inside you is fighting yours for dominance right now, and you'll both be destroyed in the process." Her fingers played over some of the unhealed wounds on Seo-yun's body, making her flinch and shudder. "Your body is already falling apart from the strain. You swallowed poison, gumiho."

She was dying. Seo-yun knew she should feel worse about learning that, but she felt curiously calm about having her darkest suspicion confirmed. The thought of death didn't appeal as much as it had sometimes in the past, but it was no longer the frightening concept it had once been. More importantly, she knew whose soul it was inside her: Morris. It wasn't as good as him being alive, but it was better news than she'd expected to hear. Some part of him had managed to stay with her after all. She wished she could somehow stop fighting and just let him have her body. He deserved life more than she did.

"Swallow." Seo-yun forced the bubbly soapy mush in her mouth down. She could still feel so much of it in her throat, sticking to the sides, and it became a struggle to breathe. "I don't like soap in my cunt, freak. Get your mouth over here." Seo-yun planted her mouth on Snowflake's pussy, and wasn't surprised when the fox's urine began to fill her mouth a moment later. "Don't swallow any of that either."

Once she'd emptied her bladder, Snowflake made Seo-yun gargle the mouthful of piss before she was allowed to gulp it down. The liquid helped remove some of the soap clogging her throat, but not much. "And dry." Seo-yun stuck one of her own tails in her mouth, using it as a brush to wipe off the remaining piss. " **Finally** ," said Snowflake when she was done. "You kept me waiting long enough. Get back to work, cunt licker."

Seo-yun hesitated, not wanting to give up the power of speech again so soon. "Is there any way to fix it? I... I felt better at one point..."

Snowflake shrugged and pulled Seo-yun's face to her crotch. "None that I know of." Her voice held no sympathy for the redhead's fate. "You might have occasional good moments, times when your body can actually work properly for a little while. But they're only a last gasp. Once your body starts breaking down like this, things go from bad to worse to fucked in a matter of days. You'll be dead before this stupid game is finished."

Seo-yun let her mind wander for a time while she focused on pleasuring Snowflake, teasing the woman's clit with her tail while her tongue slurped and sucked on her wet folds. She was going to die. Not someday in the future, but in just a few days. At least she might never have to see the Wilmingshires again.

After far too long a time, Snowflake came again. This time she wrapped her tail around Seo-yun's throat as she approached climax, and throttled her while she enjoyed the waves of bliss. Seo-yun was nearly unconscious by the time the woman let her breathe again, but at least it was over. She had nothing left that she cared to ask, and was eager to get out of the bathroom and away from this sadist as soon as possible. She swallowed her last mouthful of pussy juice and tried to turn her head away, but Snowflake stopped her. "Don't... have any more questions..." Seo-yun squeaked as the other woman humped her face.

"Good, " said Snowflake. "Means you can stop wasting that mouth talking. Now stick that tongue in deep this time, freak. Lap my cervix or pull something trying."

Seo-yun began struggling for real, not just to excite the other woman. No! What she'd been doing up until now had been awful, but she'd consented to it, albeit very reluctantly and sometimes after the fact. "They'll... they'll hear me if I scream," she said, voice muffled by her assailant's pussy.

"They will, won't they?" Snowflake said. She didn't sound at all worried by the possibility. If anything, the idea seemed to amuse her. "Those fools will come rushing in to save you. That's why you're going to have to try and be a very, very quiet fucktoy for your mistress. Let me share one more kernel of knowledge, freak." She smiled wickedly. "I'm not a kitsune either."

The air shimmered, and suddenly Seo-yun could see Snowflake's tails as they bobbed around her. They were black. Not dark, black. So black that they seemed to swallow up the light around them. No kitsune had tails like that, only... Terror ran through her body, and she suddenly felt very small and very alone.

Snowflake's smile widened at her reaction. "So even an idiot like you knows a nogitsune when she sees one."

Nogitsune. As a child, Seo-yun had always loved stories. It had never mattered much to her what the stories were about. Stories of fisherman kings or walking mountains, stories of dragons that lived in rivers and granted wishes, and stories of nightmares the lurked in the black of dark, abandoned forests. Her parents had been uncomfortable with her obsession with tales of gumiho, but they had never forbidden her to ask about them. They had never been anything but encouraging of her curiosity... save for one thing.

A traveling salt merchant that she had long forgotten the name of had told her a story once. A story of former kitsune who had abandoned Inari and made a contract with some terrible being, who had burned their own skins for the power being offered. Cruel, merciless creatures that were as much demon as fox. When she'd asked her mother about them, she and her father had looked... unhappy. They had said nothing more of the black-furred foxes.

Snowflake was no mundane mortal evil like Levinson or the Wilmingshires. She was something far worse, a monster that thrived on fear and suffering as strongly as Seo-yun had once hungered for human flesh.

"They'll be dead before they know what hit them," Snowflake promised. "This won't be like those disgusting goblins who got lucky and took me by surprise. I will kill each and every one of them. But not you, my shivering furry fucktoy. No matter what happens, no matter how many people you force me to murder, you're going to stay right here tonight and keep making me cum. Your only choice is whether we do it like this, or with the stench of those fools' corpses in your nose."

Seo-yun's response was to press her face between the woman's legs and bury her tongue into her. Snowflake moaned with pleasure. "That's right, freak. You're my plaything tonight." Inside, the fox felt ashamed of her submission. She'd been doing so much better, hadn't she? For a little while, she'd felt like herself again, like more than just an insignificant sex slave. But now she felt like the same cowardly animal she'd been for months. She made a small sound of fear and pain as she felt one of the woman's tails slide up and down her ass crack. "What would it take to make you scream and sentence everyone out there to death, hmm?"

The tail penetrated Seo-yun's pussy. It had none of the gentleness the fox had shown Snowflake when she'd performed the same act for her, and the friction of its rough entry made it feel burning hot as the dry fur grated against her insides. Another pushed its way into her asshole, fucking her more deeply than any cock had ever managed.

A third tail touched her slit, forcing its way in alongside the other. "How many tails can I fit into these loose fuckholes of yours?" Snowflake wondered out loud. A fourth pressed against her anus, and Seo-yun's battered sphincter resisted for mere moments before giving in and allowing Snowflake to stuff it up her guts. "What do you think happens first, freak? Do I get all nine of these in you, or does your lazy tongue finally get the job done?"

Seo-yun couldn't stop herself from crying out softly when a fifth tail slapped against her packed slit. "If only you could see yourself right now, freak. Two tails in this pussy and it's still drooling for more. Have you been a painslut all this time?" She twisted Seo-yun's nipples hard. Beg me to shove a third tail into your greedy twat."

"Please shove a... a third tail into my greedy twat," Seo-yun managed.

"Fuck you," Snowflake said, and shoved hard against her asshole instead. This is what a little painslut like you really wants." Seo-yun winced as the nogitsune crammed it in there, her asshole stretched as tight as a drum around all three.

"And how about this one?" asked Snowflake, rubbing a sixth against her pussy lips before lightly flicking her clit. "I **could** feed that hungry cunt, but I think you don't have enough in here yet." Seo-yun whimpered as she began to work that one too into her ass. She'd taken wider things than four tails before, but she'd been able to heal back then. She could do nothing but lick harder, hoping to entice the woman into cumming before she could stick any more into her.

Snowflake laughed. "A little anal play and you're already desperate for my pussy juice. I'll make you another deal, freak. Get that shampoo bottle back up your cunt if you don't want me to assfuck you with the next tail too."

Seo-yun's pussy felt like it would burst if she tried to pack anything more in it, but she knew the nogitsune wasn't bluffing. The monster would fuck her to death without hesitation if that's what she wanted. So she gritted her teeth, located the shampoo bottle with her tail, and pressed it against her opening.

"You really **are** a hopeless slut, aren't you?" Snowflake marveled. "I never said which end you had to use, but you went right for the widest one." Seo-yun's face went red with shame beneath her mask as the woman laughed. She'd assumed that if she tried the less painful option, it would only earn her a beating.

Her body protested louder with every millimeter of the shampoo bottle, and Seo-yun found herself frantically tonguing Snowflake's gushing pussy as much to try and stop herself from screaming as anything else. The bottle was almost halfway in when Snowflake began shuddering to an orgasm, and Seo-yun gratefully let go of it and focused on lapping the woman's hot insides.

The fox screamed a few seconds later when Snowflake rammed the bottle in the rest of the way herself. The only thing that saved her was that the nogitsune had already crammed one of her tails down Seo-yun's throat, and her agonized cries came out only as soft vibrations that made the other woman smile. "So you **could** do your job before I got all nine in, freak. But did I ever say that would make me stop?"

She withdrew her tail, the other six and the bottle still buried in Seo-yun, and pulled the fox's head up. Seo-yun felt limp and boneless as the nogitsune rubbed her tits across her face. "Worship my breasts while I finish ruining your holes."

Seo-yun opened her mouth and began licking and sucking on one of the woman's nipples. "That's it, freak," said Snowflake, shivering. "Don't forget to give them both plenty of attention. Time to polish my clit and be a dildo again too. That's all your worthless hide is good for." Seo-yun's tails resumed pleasuring the woman while Snowflake reached down to spread the fox's asshole wider with her thumbs, allowing her to squeeze a fifth tail in.

She tried to wedge a sixth in as well, but despite tugging on Seo-yun's anal ring hard enough that the woman thought she was about to be ripped in two, she couldn't fit it in. She prodded the mass of fur and plastic wedged in the fox's bulging cunt instead, searching for a point of access there, but similarly failed. "Looks like seven tails and a shampoo bottle are your limit, freak. You know what that means?"

Seo-yun whimpered. She did know exactly what it meant, and a moment later Snowflake confirmed it. "It means foreplay is over."

Snowflake's tails began to pump Seo-yun's overstuffed holes with all the gentleness of sledgehammers. Even the shampoo bottle was forced along, pushed back and forth by the sea of fur around it. Not content to settle for torturing her with only seven of her tails, Snowflake wrapped one around Seo-yun's throat to strangle her, allowing only the occasional gasp. Her final tail was used as a whip again, raining blows all over the fox's ass and back. Suffocation and being muffled by a mouthful of tit meat were the only reasons Seo-yun's howls didn't wake the dead.

The fox wasn't allowed to let her agony or lack of breath distract her from service. Every time her mouth wasn't lovingly sucking her rapist's nipples, every time her one tail wasn't artfully teasing her rapist's clitoris, every time her other wasn't smoothly massaging her rapist's pussy walls, Snowflake's treatment of her would only grow rougher and more violent. "It's not that I enjoy hurting you, freak," she said at one point, making no attempt to sell the lie, "but how else is a stupid animal like you supposed to learn?"

The worst part was when Snowflake ordered her to cum. Seo-yun didn't want to, but the grinning nogitsune forced it out of her. It was Seo-yun's turn to have her clitoris played with, but not with any gentleness or love. Snowflake manipulated her sensitive nub with cruel efficiency, overwhelming Seo-yun with raw sensation until she twitched and shuddered, her holes clenching around the tails still relentlessly sawing in and out of her. "You disgusting painslut," Snowflake mocked when it was over. "I told you you deserved every ounce of this."

It didn't take long for Snowflake to finish, but it felt like a million years for Seo-yun. Between the brutal jackhammering of her lower holes, the harsh lashing of her backside, and the way she had to concentrate on perfectly pleasing her rapist, she hadn't been so miserable since Levinson. The fox was sobbing by the time her tender lovemaking, so at odds with the way her own body was being treated like a cheap fleshlight, made the nogitsune cum.

And then Snowflake made her do it again.

Afterward, Seo-yun had to carefully tongue bathe each of Snowflake's tails, sucking and licking every drop of her scum off of them, while the woman idly toyed with her body, flicking her nipples and smacking her ass while the fox worked diligently. Only after she was satisfied, and Seo-yun had swallowed the contents of her bladder once more, did Snowflake untie the woman, letting her aching limbs flop to the floor, numb from being bound for so long. Seo-yun laid there in a daze, feeling too worn out and hopeless to move. "Take a shower before you come out, freak," Snowflake said. "You stink of sex." She twisted the shower knob sharply, and Seo-yun flinched as ice cold water rained down on her.

The nogitsune left.

By the time Seo-yun could gather the courage to leave the bathroom, it was only a couple minutes before lights out, and everyone else had already retired to their bunks, all of them tired by the long day. She looked for an empty cot quietly, grateful that no one was awake to see the welts all over her. The beds had no blankets and the mattresses were as thin as paper, but compared to her basket at home, they were pure luxury, and she couldn't wait to fall into hers and lose herself in sleep.

Something tugged on her arm, catching her up short, and she turned to see Snowflake looking at her from the woman's own bed. Her tail, invisible once more, tugged on her again, demanding her to come closer. "Where do you think you're going?" asked the nogitsune quietly, wearing a wicked smile. "I didn't say we were done."

Seo-yun cast a longing look at the waiting bunk and the safety and rest it offered, and at the sleeping people around who might try to come to her rescue if she spoke up. Then she gave in and joined Snowflake on the cot. "You're going to have be **very** quiet this time," the woman told her, her voice a gleeful whisper. "But don't worry, I'll be sure to keep your mouth busy."


	9. Dinner Party

“Isn’t this nice?” asked the mistress.

“Mmmhmm,” agreed the master next to her. “Quite splendid, really! And you say you do this every year?”

Karakostas gave them both a chilly smile. “Yes, once the number of entrants has reached a more manageable level, I find it beneficial for the players to come together for a spot of socialization. A chance to put faces to names and remind everyone that behind all the sensationalism, this is only a game and all in good fun.” He was a tall, lean man with a short trimmed goatee and spectacles. His green hair would have looked out of place on almost anyone else, but the perfectly tailored suit he wore had been designed to complement the color. Leathery green wings grew from his back and a pair of horns sprouted from his forehead, all as neat and polished as the rest of him. He gave a small, calculated chuckle. “Of course, usually I am merely the host, and not a player in my own right.”

“Oh, I don’t know if players is the right term for us,” said the mistress modestly. “We found it dreadfully confusing when we tried to herd our Ginger. Celeste is so much better at handling animals, aren’t you?”

Celeste gave a polite nod. “Thank you for the compliment, mistress.”

Nine people sat around the circular lacquered oaken table, including the master, the mistress, and Celeste herself. They were in one of the upper rooms of the Paradisium, an area normally off limits to everyone but senior staff. The dining room’s design was far different from the reception hall downstairs. That area, as well as the upstairs area that handlers had access to during the game, was all glitz, everything meant to capture the eye and impress the idea of wealth. The dining room, however, had an atmosphere that was both more confident and more reserved. Nothing was flashy, but on close examination each individual piece was rare, expensive, and complemented everything around it with a perfection bordering on the divine.

“So you’re the one that owns that creature,” said a pale, dark haired man of Eastern European descent. Though his clothing was as expensive looking and well tailored as Karakostas and the master and mistress, it still looked out of place against his worn, scowling features. He looked like a man more at home in a fist fight than a dinner party.

“Oh, you mean our Ginger?” the mistress asked. “Yes, I actually picked her up for George’s-”

“No,” he interrupted, “I mean **that**.” He pointed at Celeste. “That **thing** pretending to be human.”

Celeste bowed her head. “It was not my intention to deceive. I apologize if I have caused offense.” His expression only grew more sour at her words.

“Oh, she’s harmless,” assured the mistress. “Celeste has been a mainstay of my family for… how long has it been, Celeste?”

“Three hundred and forty seven years, ten months, nine hours, twenty five minutes, and twelve seconds, mistress.”

“See?” said the mistress brightly. “She’s served the Bloomdyne family for generations.”  
  
“And we were delighted to bring her into the Wilmingshire family when we married,” added the master. “I’ve never seen a harder or more loyal worker myself.”

“Yes, she’s almost family herself, aren’t you, Celeste?” asked the mistress.

“Thank you,” said the servant. “It is my honor to serve my mistress and master.” That answer seemed to satisfy them both. Like all things she said, it was a statement of absolute truth. Serving them meant obeying the oath to which she was bound, which was an act of honor. Her own personal feelings about her master and mistress were irrelevant to the statement.

“So what, uh, what is she then?” asked the young American man a few seats away, squinting at her curiously. “I mean, she **looks** human to me.” He was seated directly between both Karakostas and the other man, which made his relatively shabby clothing stand out all the more.

“She is winter fae,” spat the Eastern European man. “A foul demon that deceives and ensnares humans.”  
  


“Well now,” said the master, a little taken aback “I don’t think she’s exactly doing much **ensnaring**. And I’ve never known her to say something untrue.”

“Yes,” said the man, his tone almost a growl. “That’s how you know she is deceiving you.”

“Why don’t we all calm down?” said Karakostas, in a friendly tone that suggested his statement wasn’t a request. “Madam Celeste is here on behalf of the Wilmingshire family, who have been respected customers of ours for years, and has acquitted herself well as one of our players. And Mr Petrov is both an old friend and a close business associate of the Paradisium. Some of the more exotic obstacles in this year’s game were provided by his company, and at no charge.” He clapped his hands lightly. “There’s an idea. Given that there are quite a few people here who have never met each other, it might be conducive to conversation if we begin by going around and introducing ourselves.” He put a hand on his chest. “As you already know, I am Karakostas, owner of the Paradisium. My entry is Astaria.” He smiled slightly. “I’m sorry, I find it difficult to remember her pet name. **Delphyne**.”

“Martin Glendale, Glendale Automotive,” said the young American. “Call me Martin. That’s my girl Betty down there, the cat one.”

“Ilya Petrov,” said the Eastern European man. “CEO of Paragon Inc, and I have the misfortune of owning that winged bitch Vorona.”

  
“Sindak,” said the efreet after him. Several empty spaces had been left between him and the others at the table to minimize the staggering heat that radiated from him. He wore no clothing at all, his obsidian flesh glowing and shifting. His rocky face split into a smile. “Ember is my pet and personal project.”

“George Wilmingshire,” said the master. “And my wife, Jessica Wilmingshire, hailing from Somerset in Great Britain. Little Ginger is ours.”

  
“Mordred,” said Mordred, looking bored. “Snowflake.”

“I am Muhtadi,” said the Arabian man between him and Karakostas. After Martin he was the youngest there, and the only one wearing clothes approaching normal garb. “Muhtadi Basara. Qarinah is my wife.”

That caused a stir. “Your wife?!” exclaimed the master, looking flabbergasted. “But, but wasn’t Qarinah that one who spent all yesterday rutting with one of the dogs? **That** is your wife?”

“Yes,” Muhtadi said stiffly. “ **She** is my wife.”

“Why on earth would you make your own wife do something like that?” asked the mistress, just as flustered as her husband. “Was it, you know, some kind of punishment in your culture?”

The Arab’s expression darkened. “No. It had nothing to do with ‘my culture’, and I did not make my wife do anything. Coming to the Paradisium was her decision, and she has my full support.”

“But she’s not your, your property, right?” asked the master. “Is that even allowed here?”

“I should rather think so,” said Karakostas. “Delphyne isn’t a slave either. She’s my daughter.”

The mistress looked about ready to faint at that news, and even most of the others seemed taken aback. “Now that sounds like a family squabble if ever I heard one,” said Martin with a grin.

“Just a little life lesson,” said the green haired man, steepling his fingers. “Like so many young people, she has certain… ideas about the world that do not mesh with reality. If it were up to her, this entire place would be shut down!” He smiled with amusement at the notion. “So she and I made a deal. If she were to enter this year’s contest and win, I would cede full control of the Paradisium and its assets to her.”

“You’d throw everything away for some game?” asked Mordred skeptically. “You can’t really mean that.”  
  


Karakostas raised an eyebrow at him. “I would have expected one of your peerage and wisdom to know that a dragon’s word is their bond, Mordred. If she wins, I will do exactly as we agreed. But the idea is foolish. She has done well so far - she is my daughter after all - but she will fail soon, in either this round or the next. Hopefully she’ll return to me with more humility and fewer unrealistic ideals.”  
  
“And if she cheats?” argued Mordred. “What’s to stop her from telling the others all about your little deal?”

“Yeah, they’d all just let her win, wouldn’t they?” agreed Martin.

“Please give me **some** credit, gentlemen,” said Karakostas. “As part of our agreement, if she tells any of them the truth, the deal is immediately forfeit. And even if her oath was not as reliable as my own, there is no chance of any secret discussions down there.” He gave a small satisfied smile. “They are all being monitored quite thoroughly by my staff at all times.”

“Besides,” said Sindak, grinning, “no matter what she tells or promises the others, my Ember will **never** just let someone else win.”

“Still though,” the mistress complained. “There has a to be a better way of teaching the poor thing than… than to treat her like some common slave. She’s your daughter!”

Petrov rolled his eyes. “What does her bloodline have to do with anything? Vorona is my daughter as well, **and** my slave.” Sindak perked up on hearing that.

“Oh, **that’s** alright,” said the mistress, waving a hand at him. “As long as she’s a slave. I just can’t fathom the idea of sending a…” She hesitated, searching for the right word.

“A person?” suggested the master.  
  
“Exactly,” agreed the mistress, and give him a kiss. “I can’t fathom sending a person down there.”

“But the raven girl is an alkonost, isn’t she?” asked the efreet. “I would’ve sworn it wasn’t possible for a human to breed with an alkonost.”

“It’s not,” Petrov agreed, looking smug, and though Sindak continued to press him for details, he would say no more on the topic.

“I really must thank you all for the opportunity to entertain guests like this,” said Karakostas. “The Paradisium requires a great deal of attention to maintain, and it is a rare night that I get to relax and enjoy myself in proper company. Please, if there is anything about the food or service tonight that does not mean your approval, let me know at once. I wish to make this as pleasant an experience as possible for all of us.”

“Oh, I’m sure the food will be just wonderful,” assured the mistress. “And the service…” she shivered slightly in pleasure. “It has already earned my approval **several** times over.”

Several uniformed waiters were already poised and ready around the room to meet any guest’s request. Karakostas’s personal assistant was present as well, a short and squat man who stood at attention just behind the dragon’s seat in case he was needed. He wore an earpiece and occasionally spoke quietly and discreetly in response to some unheard message, managing the Paradisium’s mundane affairs while his employer relaxed. But that wasn’t the sort of service the mistress was referring to.

Nine naked slaves knelt beneath the oaken table, lapping and sucking at the people seated. Celeste was unused to such attention and had no interest in an unwilling partner, but to refuse her host’s hospitality would embarrass the master and mistress, so she tolerated the soft tongue that explored her slit. Muhtadi had kept his legs closed at first, refusing the unspoken offer, but after the one assigned to him had whimpered quietly, he’d given in and reluctantly let her tend to him. He had no doubt realized that regardless of the reasons behind it, the slave would be harshly punished afterward if she was rejected by him.

The other seven people had no such qualms about enjoying the experience. The master happily patted his slave’s head as she sucked on him. She’d dislocated her own jaw fitting her mouth around him, but the Paradisium’s staff was thoroughly trained - given their master’s penchant for marking people as meat, their every task was a matter of life and death - and she had performed without hesitation or complaint. As his cockhead bulged against her cheeks, her fingers delicately played with his shaft and scrotum, trying to tease his next load out of him. Her stomach was already slightly swollen after wringing two from him, and given what Celeste knew of her master, she estimated that the woman would look at least seven months pregnant by the time the night was over.

  
She was in for an unpleasant ordeal, but not the worst one that waited. The slave assigned to Mordred was limp and unresponsive as his cock pummeled her throat. She’d passed out moments ago thanks to his hand around her neck, which was squeezing tight enough to cause bruises. He would presumably let her breathe again once he had finished, but he showed zero qualms about killing her if his orgasm arrived too late. Vampires were not known for their compassion or mercy.

The one with Sindak was among the only two who did not go at her task quietly. He didn’t seem to be doing any lasting harm to her, but from the way she moaned and sobbed as she serviced him, the close contact was agony. The slave pleasing Karakostas himself was vocally distressed as well. Celeste had caught only a quick glimpse of the thick, scaly appendage between the dragon’s legs before he’d packed the entire thing into the woman’s mouth and throat, but that was enough to understand how much pain it must be causing. And unlike the efreet, the blood that trickled down the slave’s clenched lips suggested that there was indeed permanent damage being done.

“Hey, wait a minute,” said Martin. He was resting a hand casually on the back of his slave’s head as she went at her task with unbridled enthusiasm. The woman was likely grateful that she’d been assigned to an ordinary human, and wanted to give him no cause to ask for someone else. The American looked around curiously, pointing at each person in turn while his lips moved silently. “Isn’t there supposed to be one more of us? For the koala, right?”

“Mr. Stiles has chosen not to make an appearance tonight,” said the dragon. “He said he was feeling a bit under the weather.”

“Shame,” said the master, making only a half hearted attempt to sound sincere before changing the subject to one he had more interest in. “Hope he feels better soon. Now, Mr Petrov, if I may, our host mentioned something about you providing the ‘exotic obstacles’? Would that be those marvelous dogs from yesterday? I must say, I’ve never seen anything like them in all my days.”

A rare smile touched Illya Petrov’s lips. “Of course you haven’t. They didn’t exist until we created them.”

That caught people’s interest. “Created them?” Martin asked eagerly. “You mean, like, dog breeding?”

“I mean that they were designed and manufactured in one of Paragon’s laboratories.”

“Are they some kind of robot then?” asked the mistress with wide eyes.

Petrov laughed. “No, they are as flesh and blood as any other human. Half human,” he amended, after seeing the others’ reaction. “Grown with a proprietary mix of human, canine, and other elements. Our original blueprint was intended solely for combat scenarios, but the designs of the ones sent to the Paradisium Game were modified to fuck as well as they fight.”

The mistress giggled. “They certainly are good at it. They were nearly as impressive as my husband!” The master smiled fondly at her. “Of course, they were a bit rougher with the slaves than I expected, but I suppose it’s all in good fun, yes?”  
  


“How exactly did you expect giant rapacious dogs to treat their fucktoys?” Mordred’s tone was flat and dismissive.

The mistress appeared to take no offense from it, letting out a small self-deprecating laugh. “I know, it was quite silly of me, wasn’t it? It was only, well… as our good host said, the Paradisium Game **is** just a game. And all those little animals out there are trying their best to make their owners proud. It seems a shame for any of the poor dears to be seriously hurt or killed. It’s not as though they’re meat.”

Sindak’s chest rumbled as he chuckled with amusement. “That’s a great point, Lady Wilmingshire, and I agree completely! Meat deserves whatever happens to it, but not these brave, noble competitors of ours!” So Ember was meat. Celeste filed that information away for the future.

“Is that what you meant by daughter, then?” Muhtadi asked. “The girl, Vorona, she was grown like your dogs?”  
  
“If only,” said Petrov, his good humor fading. “She was born in the normal manner. If I’d designed her, I never would’ve allowed so much pigheadedness. She wouldn’t be able to talk back like she does now, either. Our creations are put on an accelerated growth rate, going from embryo to adulthood in a matter of months.” He tapped his head. “They’re fully developed physically, and their brains are almost entirely human, but they’re still animals mentally, with little grasp of language or complex concepts.”

“You do more than just dogs?” Martin asked.

“Much more. Let me tell you about what they’ll be seeing tomorrow…”

Celeste remained silent as the conversation continued and the first course arrived. While she had been given a place of equal standing at the table, she was still a servant, and had little in common with the others. She answered questions when asked, and attended to the master and mistress as was her duty, but for the most part her mind was elsewhere. She had made a mistake today, and it burned inside her normally tranquil mind. She usually took pride in her competence, but she had failed Ginger twice today. First by not providing proper timely warning of the trap she fell into, and second by judging the fox to be incapable of escape.

Ginger had been a source of discomfort to the fae from the moment she arrived. She was far from the first slave that had shared the same household as Celeste, but the others had always been purchased from the Paradisium many years after their initial captures. They performed to the best of their ability, but by the time they reached the Bloomdynes or the Wilmingshires they were little more than appliances, alive only by technical definition. Ginger was different. She tried to hide the spark of life inside of her from everyone, especially herself, so that she could act like any other slave, but it was there.

Celeste had lived in service of humans for three hundred and forty seven years, ten months, ten hours, eight minutes, and forty five seconds. None of her masters or mistresses had been upstanding people - it wouldn’t have been much of a punishment otherwise - but she had learned to draw a distinct line separating her role from their actions. There was honor in service, and whatever crimes or cruelties her owners inflicted, it did not reflect on her. Ginger’s presence made that distinction difficult. She was a constant reminder that Celeste’s life was now spent serving people that she’d once had the freedom to despise.

The Paradisium Game and Celeste’s new place in it had only exacerbated this tension. Celeste was well aware that life would become easier for both Ginger and herself once the fox’s will broke and she became another empty minded slave. But when she’d volunteered to take over as handler, Celeste had gained a responsibility to assist the woman that ran directly counter to that. She hadn’t decided yet if becoming the fox’s handler had been another mistake. It had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, which was rare for the fae to make. She had seen how badly Ginger was struggling, and how much effort she was applying to the attempt, and when the opportunity to assist the woman presented itself, Celeste had promptly taken it. It was rash decisions like that which had led to her sentence in the first place. Now she had to choose between helping her remain in the game, which meant fanning that spark of life inside her, or helping her to give up on who she’d once been, which meant extinguishing it.

This conflict had resulted in today’s miscalculations. Unable to commit to either path, she’d ended up middling somewhere in between, performing her role far below the standards of excellence she usually set for herself. Ginger’s actions in turn had shamed her. The fox had selflessly risked her own safety to save another while Celeste had still been busy equivocating.

A heated conversation refocused the fae’s attention on the dinner party. Petrov had just asked Muhtadi how much money the man wanted for Qarinah.

“I will not tell you again!” the Arabian man was saying. “Qarinah is not a slave. She is a free woman and my wife.”  
  
“Spoken like a man who has never owned a slave before,” Petrov scoffed. “She could do everything she does you for now, only better once she’s learned some proper fear.” He leered at the man. “Let me have her for just a month, and I promise she will return far better behaved than she is now. Even a single night would be more than enough to teach her some tricks that I am certain you will appreciate.”

“You will be silent!” Muhtadi said angrily, pushing the woman sucking on him away and rising from his seat. “I will not listen to this filth any longer!”

Petrov sneered at him as he stood up as well. “Save me the holier than thou attitude. Your **wife** spent yesterday getting pounded by one of my mutts while we all watched, remember? Don’t pretend she’s faithful. I’m just offering you a chance to get some money from her cunt instead of giving it away for free.”

“I told you to be silent!” raged the Arabian man, stepping up to Petrov.

“And I don’t care,” said Petrov, staring the man down. “Do you really think just because we are all here in one room, we are equals? I possess more wealth than the entire GDP of whatever shithole country you came from, and command powers that you have never even imagined. And you, you are just a pathetic cuckold with a slut for a wife.”

Celeste could tell that Muhtadi was about to punch the other man in the jaw. There was plenty of time for her to intervene and prevent the man from carrying out violence. She took a sip of water instead.

The mistress gasped as Petrov collapsed to the ground, a couple of his teeth scattering across the floor. Muhtadi stood over him. “I do not care how much money or power you have. You do not own me, and you do not own Camiel.”

“Gentlemen!” said Karakostas, getting in between them. “Please, let us be civil! We are all friends here.”  
  
“No, we are not,” said Muhtadi, giving the dragon a glare. He looked the others over, including all of them in his anger, as he zipped his pants back up. “You are all foul creatures, and I can no longer stand your stench.” He exited the room without another word.

“My word,’ the master said as Petrov stumbled to his feet, his expensive suit now marred by blood. “That was all rather dramatic, wasn’t it?” The mistress nodded her agreement.

Petrov’s scowl never left his face after that incident, and he did not speak again the entire night. The others proved more than capable of carrying the conversation without him, however. “I must ask,” said the master at one point. “What is it like to have **Ember** as your very own slave?”

Sindak smiled at him. “Imagine owning a prize cockroach, or having a bit of rotten mold in your home that turns out to know some party tricks. That’s the gist of it.” The master looked confused, but chuckled as though he understood exactly what the efreet meant.

Mordred was nearly as silent as Petrov, but at one point he seemed to react to something, staring down at the floor. “You disobedient little bitch,” he said quietly to himself, amused. He held up a single finger. A few minutes later he added another.

“Something the matter?” asked Sindak, curious.

“Just keeping tracking of how many times I’ll have to punish Snowflake when this is over,” the dark haired man said. He continued adding fingers throughout the night.

“So if you’re a dragon,” Martin said later. It was after dinner by then, and his words were a little slurred from the brandy. “Does that mean you can, you know…” He flapped his arms in the air. “And fwoosh and all that?”

“Fly? Yes,” answered Karakostas. “And ‘fwoosh’ as well, as you put it, though I haven’t done that in quite a long time.” He gave the American a conspiratorial wink. “It always gives me terrible heartburn.”

“That’s real nice,” Martin said happily. “I always wished I could fly, and all that stuff. Seems like a ton of fun.”

“If I might ask, Mr Glendale,” said the mistress delicately, “how did you come to acquire your, ah, Betty?”

“Oh, her?” asked Martin. “Aw, you know, she and her sister were just a couple strays wandering around, if you know what I mean. The sister was a bit feral at first, but Betty? Always just the sweetest little thing. Not the brightest bulb in the bucket, but soft and meek and eager to please.” He giggled. “She’s a good kitty cat, isn’t she?”

Eventually the dinner party began to wrap up. Martin was still explaining in intricate detail the ins and outs of the used car industry to a thoroughly uninterested Mordred when the master and mistress stood to take their leave. The slave who’d been licking the mistress seemed utterly exhausted, her tongue lolling out of her mouth after several hours of hard use, but that was nothing compared to her partner, whose swollen belly rubbed against the floor as she crawled away. “We really can’t thank you enough for this opportunity,” the mistress told Karakostas. “This entire experience since we arrived has been such a delight!”

“You are too kind,” said the dragon. He was on his fifth slave of the night, the first four being sent away and replaced as soon as each finished him. Celeste wanted to believe that they’d been dismissed so that they could rest and recover from the self-inflicted injuries their service had required, but the despairing eyes of each of them suggested a much crueler fate awaited them. “This is the least I can do to repay you for bringing such an interesting specimen to our little game. I must confess, when I saw your Ginger’s interview with Mr Emmeck, I assumed that she would not be around for very long. Her last minute turnaround yesterday and her performance today were a most pleasant surprise.”

The master and mistress looked a bit uncomfortable with his praise, though they tried to hide it. They were still unhappy about Ginger talking and not remaining on all fours. “Ginger was doing her best to honor the rules of our household,” Celeste told Karakostas. Her words drew a few looks of surprise; it was the first time tonight she had spoken anything other than an answer to a direct question. “At home, she has the role of a pet, and knew that her master and mistress would wish her to act as such in public. During the actual game, however, she might have drawn shame upon her owners by hobbling herself with additional restrictions. She wished for an exemption that would allow her to ignore the rules for the time being, and the master and mistress allowed it.” This was completely true. Ginger might have embarrassed the Wilmingshires with a poor performance, although Celeste doubted that the fox had much cared about that. And the master and mistress **had** allowed her to disregard the rules, in that they had not been able to physically compel her to stop breaking them.

Karakostas nodded. “She seems to be a fine animal indeed, and very loyal. It is a rare slave that shows such devotion to her masters, and I applaud your wisdom in granting her request. You must be quite proud of her.”

“Erm, yes,” said the master, sounding unsure. Then, in a more confident tone, “Yes, quite. Our Ginger is perfectly behaved at home, so there’s no harm in allowing her a minor indulgence for a few days. Right?” His last statement was directed at his wife.

“Absolutely,” agreed the mistress. “I must confess, we were a bit hesitant about it at first, but she really is trying so hard for our sakes.”

By the time they left a few minutes later, the master and mistress seemed to have convinced even themselves that it had been their decision to let Ginger break the rules. Celeste allowed herself the smallest of smiles. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

**********

Seo-yun didn’t truly appreciate the regenerative powers that she’d possessed all her life until she woke up the next morning as exhausted as she’d been the night before, and in even more pain. All of her overworked muscles were sore, and her body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. When she realized that it was already morning, and that she would have to endure another full day of this hellish competition like this, she cried for a few minutes before she worked up the courage to get out of bed.

The others had gathered in the kitchen, busy eating breakfast. Even Ember was there, though she kept her distance from everyone. Qarinah noticed the fox first, and her face grew pale. “Ginger! What... what in the world happened to you, dear?” Seo-yun looked down at herself. Her front and back were riddled with welts from Snowflake’s tails, and her thighs were still black and blue from the rough pounding. She didn’t dare feel around to check, but she felt certain her asshole had been damaged too much to even close up, and still gaped behind her.

“The little fox slut begged me to fuck her brains out last night,” said Snowflake matter-of-factly, eating cold cereal out of the box. When Qarinah gave her a disbelieving look, she shrugged. “Don’t blame me: she’s the painslut who said nothing made her gush more than getting beaten like a piñata. Isn’t that right, freak?”

Seo-yuh swallowed, her mouth feeling painfully dry. If she denied it, she didn’t know what the nogitsune might do. “Y-yes,” she rasped, the words making her sore throat ache. Snowflake had kept her up for hours before allowing her to return to her own bed to sleep, and most of that time had been spent with one of the fox’s tails tightly wrapped around her neck. The woman had passed the time teaching Seo-yun exactly how she liked having her pussy licked, and was quick to strangle her half to death every time her efforts were found wanting.

“Yes…?” Snowflake repeatedly coldly.

“Yes mistress Snowflake,” Seo-yun quickly amended.

The nogitsune nodded in satisfaction, a smug smile on her lips. “See?” she told Qarinah. Then she barked “No, don’t go over there!” Her last statement was directed at Seo-yun, who had begun stumbling towards the counter, where the food was assembled. There wasn’t much: cereal, some fruit, a few boxes of microwavable breakfast sandwiches, but she was starving, and she was going to need all the energy she could get today… but it looked like Snowflake had other ideas. The nogitsune rapped the kitchen table softly. “Your breakfast is down here, freak.”

Delphyne gave Seo-yun a serious look. “She cannot force you to do anything you don’t wish to do,” she said softly. “We are all equals here, and I will not allow one of us to bully another. We must be better than those above.”

Seo-yun forced herself to smile. “No, it’s okay, really. I’m… mistress Snowflake is right, I’m a horny painslut and she’s…she’s just treating me the way I asked her to last night.” The fox sank to her knees, trying not to show how much the movement hurt, and crawled under the table. Snowflake’s knees were already spread and waiting, and Seo-yun planted her face between the woman’s legs and got to work.

There was an awkward silence above her. “I really don’t think…” Betty began.

“Shut it.” That was Ember. “She’s made her choice,” she said derisively. “If she wants to give up, let her.”

Snowflake purred as Seo-yun’s tongue brought her to orgasm. By now, the fox knew better than to stop licking. “She really is a good cunt licker, you know, after a little training. Anyone else want to try her?”

“No,” said Delphyne firmly. Seo-yun’s arm was grabbed, and the dragon pulled her out from under the table with surprising strength. “That’s **enough**.” She sounded furious, but when she looked down and met Seo-yun’s eyes, there was kindness in hers. “Go eat some real breakfast,” she said. “Please.”

“I didn’t say she could stop,” protested Snowflake. “Or are you just hoping to take her place?”

Delphyne ignored her. “Eat,” she urged again, and gently pulled Seo-yun to her feet and led her to the food. The fox darted a glance back at Snowflake, fearful that there was about to be violence, but the woman just heaved a sigh.

“Whatever,” she said, and ate another handful of cereal. “We’re leaving in a minute anyway.”

Seo-yun ate as quickly as her tired muscles would allow. After everything last night, even eating was painful, but she forced food down anyway. It felt like she was given only seconds before a voice in their ears directed them all to enter the elevator again. She quickly stuffed as much in her mouth as she could fit before leaving the kitchen, slowly chewing it on the way.

The once packed elevator now felt so empty with only eight of them. It rumbled as it slowly carried them towards their next arena, a place where more of them would be left behind. Ember, Vorona, and Snowflake each stood on their own, while the rest of them gathered in the center. “Wonder what’s gonna try and rape us next?” Crikey asked. Then she winked at Qarinah. “Sorry, I meant to say I wonder what’s gonna try and rape some of us and have vigorous surprise sex with others.”

  
“You don’t have to push yourselves today,” Seo-yun said softly. “As long as you can get just one ribbon, you’ll be okay…” She didn’t even have any left thanks to her deal with Snowflake. The others had noticed her lack of ribbons by now, but none of them seemed in any hurry to ask her about it.

The women around her exchanged glances. “It’s not like I can complain about this becoming a best of seven instead of a best of eight,” Crikey said. “But don’t go throwin’ yourself into the jaws of the beast on our account.”

Betty nodded. “I don’t value the outcome of this contest over anyone’s health, meow. It will not please me to see you hurt yourself for our sakes, meow.”

Seo-yun shook her head. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s…” She lifted one arm to let the others see how much effort it took, and how badly the limb shook. “I only barely made it through the last two rounds. I’m not going to be able to come back this time.”

Qarinah spread her arms. “May I?” When the fox nodded, the woman swept her into a gentle hug, careful not to hurt her. Seo-yun blinked and found tears in her eyes. No one had hugged her like this since her parents, and it felt wonderful, so wonderful that she wished it would never end. “There are people that love you and want to see you find happiness,” the succubus told Seo-yun as they embraced. “And I know it because I’m one of them.”

  
“You don’t even know me,” Seo-yun mumbled. “You don’t know the things I’ve done…” Morris had convinced her to stop running from her past, but that didn’t excuse it. She’d brought so much death and misery to the world… her legs shook under the weight of her sins, and Qarinah’s embrace was suddenly the thing keeping her upright.

“I’m not interested in the past,” the dark haired woman told her. It felt so safe and warm to be in her arms, and Seo-yun longed to just close her eyes and sleep for the next week exactly like this. “I’ve never met who you once were, and I never will. What matters to me is who you are right now, Ginger, and that’s a good person.”

“No, I’m-” Seo-yun mumbled.

“Yes you are,” said Qarinah. “Trust me, I’m kind of an expert on the subject. You’re a good person and you deserve better than this, okay? So do me a favor, and don’t count yourself down and out just yet. Nothing is over until it’s over.”

All too soon, the elevator stopped, and Seo-yun reluctantly disengaged from the hug. “Thank you,” she told the woman. “I… thank you.” The succubus was wrong, but that wasn’t what mattered. She was showing Seo-yun kindness, and if the fox’s life had taught her anything, it was that kindness should always be treasured.

“Yarrr, maties!” announced Emmeck in their ears. “Are ya landlubbers ready for a riproaring adventure on the high seas?! Because that’s what we got for you today!” The doors opened, revealing a wide, dark lake. There was another fake sky overhead, but this one was nighttime, a black canvas littered with bright stars. There was a dock in front of them where eight wooden boats bobbed in the water, each with a flag that bore one of their masks on it. Scattered in every direction, far enough that they weren’t much more than dots, large ships sat motionless. “There’s plenty of pirates treasure ta be found floating on tha sea!” Emmeck announced. “But the **true** treasure, that be hiding beneath the waves. Sunken ships filled with blue, red, and even pink ribbons, waiting for the lass brave enough to claim them. But shiver your timbers, because it be a long way down, and there are creatures far worse than sharks that call this sea their home. Can you find your way down there and back, or will ya end up as fish food?”

Everyone streamed out of the elevator and got in their individual boats. Each was just a small wooden tub with the sail and a pair of oars. Seo-yun wasn’t the only one looking at the water with apprehension as she slowly untied the boat from the dock. “I was hoping there would not be water,” said Delphyne, grim but resolute.

  
Crikey clapped her on the back. “Don’t worry your head about it too much, Delphy. Like the man said, it’s a long way down, but as long as you keep your chin up and your wits about you, you’ll come out of it okay, and that’s a promise.”  
  
“Thank you, Crikey,” Delphyne said, and smiled, though it had a sickly look to it. “I will try to keep that in mind.”

Ember got her boat untied first, and rowed away with quick, powerful strokes. Vorona had already left, ignoring her boat in favor of her wings. Then it was Qarinah, and Crikey, and Snowflake, and Betty, and Delphyne, until only Seo-yun remained at the dock.

“I have a direction in mind that I hope will be beneficial,” said Celeste. “…You are not moving.”

Seo-yun just shrugged, unable to tell the woman directly that she had no chance today.  
  
There was silence for a minute. “I understand,” Celeste said eventually. “You are injured, and your success today is extremely unlikely. There is no shame in stopping here, and I believe the master and mistress will not be upset by your resignation. They were happy to have lasted longer than most of the other competitors, and appear willing to forgive you for your disobedience in adhering to the standard rules of behavior. There are no outside forces compelling you to continue.”

She could stop. Seo-yun sank to her knees, feeling her exhaustion more than ever. She had permission to stop. She wasn’t even going to be punished later. She could just lay down right now and rest, truly rest like she hadn’t been able to do for such a long time now. She could already feel her body wanting to shut down. If she closed her eyes now, she wouldn’t ever have to wake up. It would be all over: no more game, no more abduction, no more slavery, no more guilt, no more failure. Just peace. Blessed, silent peace. She felt such relief at the idea, but at the same time, there was a growing sense of unease. Was she really going to just end things here? Of course she was, but… was she?

“But,” Celeste continued. “Whether you stop or continue is **your** decision. In my observations over the last two days, fear has rarely been your motivation. I do not know what you might hope to gain from this competition, but I do know that you will not find it by standing still. Whichever path you choose, you will have my support and respect, as long as it is a path you **chose,** not simply one you accepted.”

Respect? For her? The woman wasn’t making any sense, but her words had sparked something inside Seo-yun. What **did** she want? It was a question that she hadn’t asked herself in a long time. She hadn’t needed to: the answer would have just been “to not hurt”. But was that still true, or did she want more now?

Seo-yun slowly rose. She finished untying her boat and pushed it away from the dock with one oar. Celeste began to give her directions, but Seo-yun shook her head. It wasn’t points that she was after.

She set off in the direction Ember had gone.

**********

“Just a little further to your right,” Muhtadi told Qarinah. “Yes, that direction. Just keep rowing that way.”

Qarinah didn’t see anything in that direction but more water, but she wasn’t the one with the map. For a while, there was nothing but the gentle bobbing of the boat upon the water, and the sound of the oars. ”Almost there, love,” Muhtadi said. “Trust me.”

She did, but her heart wasn’t in it today. Snowflake had been right about her last night, even if she **was** a hateful see you next Tuesday. Qarinah had a million different excuses for why she’d never tried to do anything against the Paradisium, but they were all just that: excuses. And coming here and playing by the Paradisium’s rules helped to legitimize the place and excuse its behavior. And she’d already known that perfectly well, but she’d let herself ignore it. She’d listened to her libido and her curiosity over her heart.

“It’s not your fault,” her husband told her softly, and she started.

“How did you-” she began, and then remembered that he couldn’t hear her.

“I can’t remember the last time I saw you act so surprised,” Muhtadi said with gentle humor. “Usually it feels like the I’m the one trying to catch up to your pace. I saw what happened to the other women yesterday.” The humor faded. “I would have said something during the Game, but I was too focused to pay the coverage any attention until the round ended. Afterward though… every one of those massive screens in the reception hall was plastered with one cruel scene or another. In perfect detail, of course; all the better to help those watching revel in every moment of abuse. And I know you, my love. I knew that you would feel their grief, and I knew that you would find a way to blame yourself for them. Am I wrong?”

Qarinah shook her head, and couldn’t help a small smile. She really had become predictable, hadn’t she?

“The Paradisium is a wretched place filled with wretched people,” her husband continued. “I saw more than enough proof of that last night. But it is an evil that has entrenched itself in the hearts and minds of many, and cannot simply be ripped out of them roots and all. And we are not the sort of people upon which the world turns and tyrants fall. Our lot in life is a more humble one, to be among the drops of water that wear away at the foundations. In the words of Desmond Mpilo Tutu: ‘Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.’”

Muhtadi was right. He had a habit of it; she should’ve remembered that it was never a good idea to get into an argument with a philosophy professor, doubly so when said professor was her husband. She’d just told Ginger not to get hung up on the past, and here she was failing to practice what she preached. It wasn’t like her to act this way. She’d never been the type to just sit around moping instead of acting, and she wasn’t going to let that change now. All she could do was move forward, and try not repeat the same mistakes. There had to be some way she could help the others. And if that way also led to her having lots and lots of great sex, well… that was just serendipity.

The boat came to an abrupt stop that nearly caused her to take a tumble into the water, and Qarinah leaned over the side to see what she’d struck. One of those sunken ships Vin had talked about? No. There was something beneath, but it was no ship. And it was moving.

Six white tentacles grabbed the lid of the boat, and the unfamiliar creature lifted itself up and out of the water. Its main mass was about the size of a person, but that wasn’t what drew her attention. The tentacles did. Lots and lots of tentacles. There were at least a hundred attached to the beast at various points, all of them as long and thick as a man’s arm and covered with a viscous gray slime. They waved eagerly in the air as the creature loomed over her. Four of them wrapped themselves around each of her limbs, and the succubus was effortlessly hoisted up in the air.

Suspended, immobilized, and surrounded by a mass of tentacles that were already beginning to excitedly stroke her body, Qarinah beamed at her newest lover and made a mental note to thoroughly thank her husband for this later. “Why, **hello** ,” she purred.

**********

“Don’t you dare fuck this up,” snarled Ilya Petrov. “If even you can’t get this right, you’re nothing but a worthless failure!” He was always in a bad mood, but he sounded extra angry today for some reason.

Any other time, Nadia would have cursed out her father, regardless of whether he could hear her or not, but for once they were on the same side. She was going to do this right. Belle was counting on her.

She glided over the still waters, trying to peer down into their depths. Father claimed she was in the right spot, but she trusted her own eyes over his word. She’d trust just about anything more than that bastard. But though it wasn’t quite as dark as true night in the arena, it was close, and water was an impenetrable black wall to her. She had no choice but to go in blind and hope that this wasn’t just an elaborate way for him to kill her.

Nadia rose in the air, until she’d nearly reached the painted stars of the ceiling, then dived straight down, plunging into the water. Her speed decreased dramatically under the surface, but she pressed forward, swimming with everything she had. And then her progress was abruptly halted as multiple somethings wrapped around her arms and legs.

The leviathan drew her closer to it, more and more of its tentacles ensnaring her limbs, until she couldn’t even see her flesh anymore. The raven was helpless as other tentacles began a slower, hungrier exploration of her body. Two of them pressed between her legs and began squirming into her holes. The first reached her cervix easily and swelled to fill her entire vaginal cavity, while the second began to wind through her intestines. Another slid between her lips and went straight down, making it all the way into her stomach. The leviathan began to fuck its captive, slimy tentacles pumping in and out of her body.

So far, so good, Nadia thought. Now for the hard part.

**********

Betty kicked and struggled, but she was too weak to overpower a single one of the tentacles, and the creature had a seemingly endless number. The battle had been decided the moment the monster had targeted her. Its slimy limbs had emerged from every direction, surrounding her little vessel before pouncing.

“He called them suckers leviathans,” Martin said eagerly. Her master didn’t sound at all concerned about her plight. “Sounded real proud of them, and I can see why. Did you know they average, what was it, one hundred and sixty tentacles? And each one of them, they… no, no, I don’t want to ruin the surprise. You have fun out there, kitten.”

Betty knew that was going to be the closest thing she got to assistance from her master. He didn’t care about winning; if he had, he wouldn’t have sent her in this absurd getup. This was nothing but a chance to do some networking and see her get humiliated at the same time. He was probably watching right now with his cock in her sister’s mouth. Betty wished, not for the first time, that their roles had been reversed. Her twin sister would have been far better at all of this than Betty, and while the girl wasn’t in any hurry to suck their master’s cock, it would at least be a familiar indignity.

The girl watched her boat drift away as she hung in the air, suspended by multiple tentacles. There was just her, the water, and the monster now. This was going to be a long day.

More tentacles emerged from the surface, but these weren’t looking to restrain her like the first ones. One of them, thinner than the others, slid around her breasts in a figure eight and then tightened, squeezing her chest painfully. Another two went straight for her nipples, and began to rub their tips against the sensitive buds. Like all the tentacles, they were covered in a thick gray slime, and their movements were smearing it all over her nipples. A fourth tentacle slid in between her cleavage, stopping with its tip mere centimeters from her face. The one around her breasts began to undulate, causing her breasts to obscenely scrub the new tentacle, which had begun rubbing against her cheeks. Betty cried out as an unseen tentacle behind her slapped her backside, sharp and painful. The moment her lips parted, the tentacle between her breasts slid further forward, until its end rested on her tongue. Betty understood what it wanted, but it wasn’t until her backside was struck again that she complied, lapping at the tentacle’s tip. It pulsed excitedly in response, and the figure eight began playing with her breasts even more forcefully

More tentacles appeared. Two of them went around her upper arms, and began to slide back and forth, grinding their tips against her soft armpits. Two more wrapped around her legs to similarly pleasure themselves with the backs of her knees. Three rolled around in the tresses of her dark hair. Two rubbed themselves against the palms of her hands, and another two against the soles of her feet in a manner that made her squirm. Another slid up and down the crack in her ass, another pressed and poked her belly button like it was trying to burrow inside her, and two more yet caressed the cheeks on her face.

There were eighteen tentacles now rubbing against her, their movements growing stronger with each passing second. All of them were dripping with slime, and soon her entire body was covered with their gray ooze. Rather than drying themselves off on her flesh, the tentacles appeared to get slimier and slimier as time passed, and Betty realized with some trepidation that she knew what the slime was: precum.

This was going to be a **very** long day.

All eighteen tentacles finished at the same time, white goo erupting from their tips. It was even thickier than the monster’s precum, and stickier. And there was seemingly no end to it. Each tentacle had what felt like a gallon worth of monster cum, and together they plastered Betty from head to toe with their seed. Not an inch of her body escaped their defilement. She could have taken a bath in the stuff and come out cleaner.

When the spray petered out, the eighteen tentacles all withdrew, giving the girl only a moment’s respite before more emerged from the water to take their place. Soon she was again entangled in a mass of squirming, eager white limbs. And then there was a new one, one that went straight for her mouth. It was thicker than the others, but also more flexible, and oddest of all it split in two thinner tentacles at the end. As it invaded her throat, one tentacle began sinking all the way down her esophagus, while the other forced its way into her trachea. The two filled her completely, swelling to match the contours of her mouth and throat without so much as a molecule of empty space left behind.

Betty panicked as she felt herself suffocate, and fought with renewed vigor, but she was held fast as the other tentacles continued to masturbated themselves with her flesh. Her lungs demanded air, completely stymied by the tentacle plugging her airway. The girl remained hanging in mid-air, unable to do anything but wait to pass out… but she didn’t. Her lungs and brain continued screaming that she was dying, their insistence growing more urgent as time passed, but time **was** passing. First seconds, and then minutes, and she was still fully conscious.

Around the time the second set of tentacles ejaculated all over her, further basting her in the monster’s cum, Betty became certain of what was going on. The tentacle in her trachea was somehow providing her body oxygen directly. Her body just didn’t recognize what was happening, so it was convinced that she was suffocating to death even though she was fine. It was such an odd quirk of biology that it had to be intentional, and Betty had a feeling she knew exactly why.

Sure enough, the monster masturbated like that twice more before it got bored of what it must have considered foreplay, and pulled Betty’s cum soaked body down into the water. Its seed was so viscous that even underwater it remained clinging to her skin and hair as she went down, down, down, until she was at the bottom of the sea, and it was now just her, the water, the monster, and the monster’s roughly one hundred and sixty tentacles. More began rubbing themselves against her in a now familiar violation, but still others began to press between her legs, demanding access to her lower holes.

She was dry, but thanks to their precum slime, that proved no deterrent. The first tentacle to push its way into her cunt was one of the thickest things she’d ever had up there, and one quickly became two as a second used its elasticity to squeeze in alongside the first and expand once it had purchase. A third managed to wedge itself in too, while two others performed a similar trick with her asshole after yanking her tail butt plug out. She tried to wrest a hand free so she could grab hold of the plug, but she was completely trapped and could only watch as it drifted away. All five tentacles pumped her independently, each eager to fill her with cum. And more, so many more, still pressed hungrily against both cunt and ass, seeking to join in.

“Aww shucks,” said Martin, “your poor tail. Wave goodbye to it, Sally.”

By the time the first ones began to cum, some of their sperm coating her insides and the rest sliding slowly down her legs, she was up to five in her pussy and four in her ass. Each one that finished and pulled out was immediately replaced by another just as eager. Betty knew she’d made about half the tentacles ejaculate by now, but you wouldn’t have known by looking at the beast. Every last one of them was still waving wildly and slathered in precum, just waiting for their opportunity to shoot into or onto the monster’s new fucktoy. “Don’t worry about that sucker getting tired,” her owner confirmed a few minutes later. “Those little doggies a couple days ago were designed to fight **and** fuck, but these leviathans were built to be pure lovers. They’re chock full of adrenaline and hormones, and got a set of balls on ‘em that would put even my new troll friend to shame. He’s a one-man, one-stop, twenty four-seven gangbang, kitty cat, and you’re all his.’

This was going to be a very, **very** long day.

**********

The oars proved easier to handle than Seo-yun had expected, and her boat glided smoothly across the water. “I believe the ship ahead of you was Ember’s destination,” said Celeste. “If she has already departed, I have calculated the most likely course she would have taken.” Seo-yun had expected the servant to chide her when she’d realized where the fox was going, but Celeste had done nothing of the sort, calmly advising Seo-yun just as before.

As the ship grew closer, Seo-yun could make out the small boat moored next to it. The sight of the phoenix’s flag filled her with equal parts excitement and terror. She’d found Ember, just like she’d wanted. Now what the hell was she going to do with her?

She tied her boat to Ember’s and climbed onto the ship. It was an ostentatious recreation of a stereotypical eighteenth century European pirate ship. A naked mermaid with oversized breasts was carved into the ship’s bow, the massive frilled sails bore grinning skulls, and there were ropes and rigging everywhere, most of which appeared completely unnecessary and in some cases not actually attached to anything. The cannons lining the sides had no firing mechanism, and the door to the captain’s quarters was painted on. This was a prop, not a real ship.

There was no sign of Ember, but at the center of the deck was an open hatch leading into the ship’s depths. “Ember!” Seo-yun called down it, not wanting to surprise the woman and provoke a fight. “It’s… it’s Ginger! You know, um, Yip Yip? I need to talk to you!” There was no response.

This was a mistake. This was a big mistake. But she went down the hatch anyway.

“An amazing play by Vorona!” Emmeck boomed in her ear, much louder than his usual running stream of commentary, and the surprised fox nearly fell off the ladder before she recovered. “That’s fifteen points for the raven! A few more and she’ll have captured the lead!” Seo-yun didn’t know what had happened, but she was glad for the poor woman.

The crew quarters were empty, save for hammocks hung up every which way. Some bottles of alcohol lay scattered on the floor, but when Seo-yun picked one up and sniffed its contents, out of curiosity more than anything else, she found it was just water and food coloring. She gulped it down; after having to live on piss for two weeks with Levinson, she was never going to pass up a drink of water if she could help it. What was left of the bottle, and two unopened ones, went into her backpack for safekeeping. There was only one door down here, presumably to the cargo hold. “Ember?” she tried calling again. “I’m, I’m coming closer, okay? I just want to talk!” Still nothing.

She had no idea what she was going to say when she found the woman. Their last conversation hadn’t exactly gone well. But she knew she had to try. It couldn’t be a coincidence that Samantha was here, and she couldn’t let her die again.

The ribbons Emmeck had promised were in the cargo hold: three bright blue ones tied around empty barrels. If Ember was down here, she was nowhere to be seen. Seo-yun glanced around as she tied the ribbons to her wrist. This didn’t make any sense. Where was she? Had she abandoned her boat here? But even then, she would’ve at least looked around before she went, and Ember wouldn’t have just left these ribbons behind. Something was wrong.

Seo-yun smelled smoke.

She wasted no time running out of the cargo hold, but stopped short at the sight of flames. The crew quarters that she’d been in just minutes ago was now on fire. Several of the hammocks blazed, blocking the way to the ladder. Seo-yun eyed them, trying to find a way through, but she couldn’t see anything, and the flames were quickly spreading, chewing through the cheap wood varnish. She could feel the heat on her face, stifling and oppressive. She coughed, eyes watering and lungs full of smoke, and nearly collapsed.

“The second hammock from the right!” Celeste urged. “There is enough open space beneath.” Seo-yun didn’t have time to see for herself if the woman was right. She dove underneath it, and and crawled forward as quickly as she could. The floor there was soaking wet, which had to be why it had escaped the flames so far. She dragged herself through the rest of the way, scrambled to her feet, and climbed the ladder as quickly as she could.

The hatch was closed, and it wouldn’t open when she pushed on it. It wasn’t locked, but there was something heavy blocking it from above. The smoke was all concentrated at this height and Seo-yun coughed, feeling sick and dizzy. She pushed on the hatch as hard as she could, imagining that she could already feel the flames licking at her feet. She could feel whatever was above her giving way, but it was doing it far too slowly. She was going to burn alive in just a few seconds… any second now…

The hatch popped open, and Seo-yun quickly climbed up and onto the deck, gratefully breathing the cleaner, cooler air. It took a minute before she’d recovered enough to look around. Thankfully, nothing was on fire up here. It all looked much the same, except that one of the fake cannons was sitting next to the hatch now, and both Ember and Seo-yun’s boats were nowhere to be seen.

Seo-yun looked out over the water, and spotted Ember’s boat out in the distance, with the fiery haired woman in it. But she wasn’t alone. “Uh oh folks!” Emmeck confirmed a few second later. “We might be about to see a major upset today! The queen of flame and sky had gotten herself shanghaied by some unruly buccaneers! We’ve seen her escape from worse situations before, but is this the day our champion’s legacy ends?” Three men in outlandish pirate outfits were sharing the boat with Ember, and though she was struggling wildly, they seemed to have her well restrained. One man was rowing the boat while the other two groped her.

Seo-yun coughed, tasting the smoke drifting up through the floorboards. She could feel the heat beneath the deck steadily growing as the flames consumed everything. She couldn’t stay here.

The fox hit the water with a splash, and immediately began swimming. The water was cold, but after the heat of the flames, it was a welcome chill. Ahead, she could see the faint glow of Ember’s hair growing smaller in the distance. She began to swim after it, the cold water growing less pleasant with each stroke.

Ember had tried to kill her. That hadn’t just been a warning or a scare tactic. Seo-yun knew why the floor beneath the hammock had been soaking wet: because Ember had doused the room with the alcohol bottles before lighting the fires. She was only alive right now because the builders had cut corners using water instead of real alcohol, and Ember had been in too much of a hurry to notice what she was pouring. It was luck, pure and simple, and if Seo-yun ran into the woman again, she probably wouldn’t survive the experience. Ember didn’t want to talk. She just wanted Seo-yun dead.

But that changed nothing. Seo-yun continued swimming after Samantha.

**********

Ember cursed and tried to kick the man holding her leg behind her, but she couldn’t see and had no leverage. Her struggles only made him laugh as he pressed her leg against the boat railing and his companion began to lash it in place.

“You made it all the way to the third round this time, meat,” Master Sindak told her. “Two full days of not getting raped, that might just be a record!”

She’d been a fucking idiot. She’d been so focused on the fox that she’d forgotten to be wary of other dangers. She didn’t know where the men had been hiding, probably in some of the barrels, but they’d managed to take her by surprise, and before she knew it, they’d tied her up on her own boat and flung her only weapon into the water.

“Look at that tight phoenix ass!” one of the men said, and slapped her hard on the butt. “You think her insides are extra hot too?” She was face down over the bow of the boat, the upper half of her body jutting out above the water. Her wrists were bound behind her, and both her legs were secured to opposite sides of the boat, leaving her crotch completely exposed.

“I’m about to find out,” said the second man, already fumbling with his pants.

“Fuck you!” said the first. “I’m the one that took the risk of grabbing her, I get dibs.”

“Fuck **both** of you,” Ember growled. “I’m going to roast your godda-” The first man grabbed the back of her head and shoved it under the water, extinguishing her hair. Sindak started laughing.

“I’ve always said this bitch needs an attitude adjustment,” the man said, the water distorting his words. “Struts around the Paradisium like she’s more than just the number one piece of fuckmeat.” He yanked her head up and out of the water. “I don’t know what kind of pussy of an owner you have that lets his slave act like this, but today you’re **my** fuckmeat-”  
  


“ **Our** fuckmeat,” interrupted the other man.

The first one sighed. “Whatever. Point is, I want to hear the great and all powerful Ember beg for my cock in that ass.”

“If I were you, motherfucker,” Ember said, “I’d skip the psych bullshit and just dive in. Get the most out of these last few minutes of your life.”

He dunked her head underwater again. “We’ll see how you feel when you wake up,” he told her. “Enjoy drowning, flame bitch.”

Ember didn’t bother to fight it. Suffocation was nothing new to her by now. Whenever Master Sindak fucked her throat, he couldn’t care less whether she could breathe or not. Samantha would pass out with his molten hot prick pounding her, and when she woke she’d either have his boiling seed in her stomach already, or he’d still be going at it. Ember just closed her eyes and tried to think of it as a nap. She could sure as hell use one. After a couple minutes, she couldn’t stop her oxygen starved body from breathing in some water, making her choke and thrash despite herself. She was still squirming as everything faded to black.

And then she was awake and spitting up water, her head back above the surface. “How you feeling now, bitch?” asked the first man. “Got something you want ask me?”  
  
She coughed. “Yeah, actually,” she said. “You mind sticking me back in? The water saves me from having to smell you fuckers.”

He spat, the spittle striking her ass cheek, and shoved her back into the water. She used the time to consider her next steps. The fox had escaped the trap she’d set for it, which was was more annoying than the pirates. The creature had followed her, which meant only one thing: it was hoping to kill Ember today and claim her points for itself. A natural plan to take, since it was no doubt confident that it could beat an ordinary human in a fight. Ember would have to show the creature how flawed an assumption that was.

Remembering the fox’s foolish attempt to trick her made her seethe. Pretending it just wanted to talk… did it think she was stupid? What really burned was that a few years ago, an obvious ploy like that would have worked on her. During the first competition, Ember had tried so hard to find allies among the other women, but every attempt had been met with scorn and derision. The only reason she’d made it through the first few rounds was that they’d all looked down on her as a pathetic human begging for help, and ignored her on the assumption that she would get herself eliminated quickly enough.

The second year had been far worse. Everyone had wanted to be the returning champion’s friend. Everyone had wanted to take advantage of her. By the time she claimed victory that year, she’d been forced to kill three of them in self defense. It was a painful lesson, but one she’d learned well: trust no one. The Paradisium Game was the best chance most women had for a better life. Winners whose owners weren’t sadistic efreet assholes were often granted their freedom as a prize, or at least given a place of honor. Graduating from a mutt to a show dog might not sound like much, but it made a world of difference to the mutt, and there was nothing they weren’t willing to do for it.

The two pirates were shouting at each other now as she coughed up some more water. They’d drowned her four times now? Five? She hadn’t bothered to keep track. “Once we reach the island, there’s gonna be twenty more guys wanting a piece,” one of them was yelling. “Right now it’s just the three of us, and you’re wasting our damn opportunity on some fucking power trip!”

“The flame bitch has to learn her place,” argued the other. “She’s too goddamn uppity.”

His companion sighed. “Jesus man, she’s a fucking slave. She wants to pretend to be something more for a couple days, who cares? Just get out of the way.” Ember felt him enter her, his cock sinking slowly into her unlubricated asshole. “Mmm,” he said, groaning in pleasure. “You were right, I think she **is** extra hot in here!” Being anally raped dry was a very common occurrence for Samantha; even if Master Sindak had any interest in easing her pain rather than increasing it, lubication didn’t last long around an efreet. The pirate’s cock was smaller than her owner’s, and wasn’t even burning her alive. It was practically a relaxing experience.

The man raped her ass for a few minutes before shooting his load into her bowels. Despite his complaining, his friend immediately took his place, though he took out his annoyance on Ember by drowning her while he fucked her. She’d passed out another three times before her insides were painted with more sticky seed. When he was done, the one rowing the boat passed off the oars and gave her a try.

All three men had sampled her cunt as well, and were debating if there was a safe way to have her suck their cocks - she saw no reason to let them know there wasn’t - when they began to near their destination. It was a tiny artificial island, only a few acres in size. Twenty foot rock cliffs went all around the perimeter, save for a single dock on one side, where she could already see more men standing. Most of the island was dominated by the massive pirate fortress at its center. The wooden building was flying dozens of pirate flags and the light of multiple fires danced within it.

When they reached the dock, the ropes binding Ember’s legs to the boat were cut, and she was roughly shoved into the group of waiting men. Half a dozen different hands began to fondle her body, and someone whose breath was absolutely disgusting forced her into a kiss. “Let’s bring her in, boys!” one of them called out. “We got our very own prize phoenix to fuck today!”

They all cheered.

**********

Qarinah drifted aimlessly through the ocean in her partner’s warm embrace. Now **this** was the sort of encounter she’d been hoping to have when she came to the Paradisium. She stroked the beast’s soft tentacles, communicating her love for him. He had worked so very hard to please her, and based on the hundreds of times he had cum, she was confident that she’d returned the favor. He really was a sweetheart, despite its appearance. Enthusiastic, to be certain. Tireless, my yes. But she’d sensed no malice from the creature, only raw lust that she’d happily answered in kind.

Something caught her eye, and she looked to see a ship wreck a short distance away. Some of the best sex of her life **and** free ribbons? Sure. She just had to figure out how to get over there. The succubus began to softly paddle her way over, hoping her lover would be willing to follow along, and to her surprise he surged forward along the path she’d indicated, making much better time than she could have ever managed on her own. As an experiment, she tried paddling in a slightly different direction, and the beast immediately matched it. Now that was interesting…

A few minutes later, he waited patiently as she untied two red ribbons and a pink from a mast of the sunken ship. “And Qarinah shoots up the charts!” Vin announced excitedly. “By taming the mighty leviathan, the lion becomes the second to claim the sunken treasure! Will she be able to catch up to the raven?”

Qarinah nuzzled her partner softly, and was rewarded by two of his tentacles slipping inside her body, making love to her eagerly but gently. Such a good boy, really. She looked around, but it was too dark to see any more of the ships. Well, she was in no hurry. She picked a random direction, and soon she and her lover were on their way.

**********

Nadia silently cursed Emmeck as she directed her leviathan towards the next sunken ship. Why couldn’t that little rat bastard have just shut up for once?

Without him, this round would have been a runaway victory for her, just as her father had intended. The leviathans were trained to respond to aggression: fight back and they become rampaging rape beasts. Don’t resist and… well, she’d still been raped by hers dozens of times by now, but it was far gentler about it than it could have been, and it was allowing her to guide its path. The creatures were living oxygen tanks, albeit with hundreds of horny tentacles attached.

If Emmeck hadn’t run his mouth, she could’ve kept drifting from ship to ship the entire day, stocking up on points. But now the others knew the leviathans were more than just a danger to be avoided, and given that it was Qarinah who had discovered their real purpose, it wouldn’t be hard for any of them to suss out how she’d done it. They’d all be down here any minute, and they’d - the raven gasped as her leviathan began furiously pumping her asshole with two of its huge tentacles, while several more tentacles started masturbating with her soft wings. She had to calm down, or she wouldn’t get anywhere. Nadia forced herself to relax, ignoring her lungs’ insistence that she was drowning. She’d spent more than a hundred hours training with these things, and she wasn’t going to let the thousands upon thousands of tentacle rapes that had resulted go to waste.

Eventually, though it took much longer than she liked, the leviathan settled down into its more normal routine, still fucking her but less roughly, and receptive to her touch. It was still double teaming her asshole though, and it was an unpleasant reminder of the goblin rape yesterday, and the events that had followed. Nadia could have screamed as her negative thoughts set the beast off again, and resulted in her tits getting fucked and god knew how many tentacles stuffed into her pussy. Relax, she ordered herself. She had to relax! She had a game to win.

**********

Deep below the waters, the thoroughly gangraped Betty cried tears of relief as the dozens of tentacles simultaneously fucking her began to calm down in response to her ceased struggles . If she and Qarinah were both still around tonight, she was going to cook that woman a **feast**.

“Aww, that’s not half as much fun,” Martin complained a short time later as she collected a few ribbons from a nearby wreck. “I wonder what it would do if you tried to bite him instead.”  
  
The dark haired girl had absolutely no interest in finding out. If it was that aggressive in its natural state, and so relatively peaceful in this one, she could only imagine how much more violent it would be if it became genuinely angry. But she knew her owner well; he hadn’t been speaking idly, he’d been giving her an order.

So she bit down hard on the tentacles in her mouth.

The monster’s reaction was immediate. She’d thought it had been fucking her hard before, but that had just been its eagerness to pleasure itself. Now it wanted to hurt her, and it was well equipped for the task. Each time a tentacle slammed against her cervix, it felt like she was being kicked, and the ones in her guts were thrusting so sharply and deeply that she half expected the tips to pop out of her mouth. It started stuffing even more of them into her as well, forcing her insides to stretch as the number of tentacles violating her body nearly doubled and more continued furiously trying to wedge themselves in. The outside of her body wasn’t spared either. Countless tentacles began to lash at her, punch her, slap her. Some of them wrapped around her throat and abdomen and began to squeeze, trying to make her sore holes even tighter. Everything hurt, and still the monster was cumming over and over, wringing its pleasure from her battered and cum-soaked body.

Martin was laughing as she was punished for her forced act of defiance. “Now that’s more like it! Wouldn’t want my favorite pussy cat to get bored down there, right? I’m sure you can sweeten him back up and get a ride home once the round is over, but we’ve got hours to all enjoy ourselves before then. Mmm, you hear what that thing is doing to your sister, Sally? Feel how hard it’s got me? You’re gonna get to gobble up a whole bunch of loads today cause of her! Why don’t you tell her how grateful you are?”

“…aahnk yuh beht teeh…” came a soft, muffled voice. Betty felt a wave of nausea that had nothing to do with the squirming thrusting tentacles in her stomach. Even now, separated by each other and and unable to see or communicate, she and her sister were being used to make each other more miserable.

“So if it’s this mad **now** ,” Martin mused, “what do you think it would do if you went and bit him again? Heck, I wonder what would happen if you just kept trying to rile him up more and more. Maybe he’d start trying to stuff every last tentacle he’s got into you, yeah? Boy, that sure would be a neat sight.”

Betty whimpered, and then did as she was told.

**********

Delphyne had never been comfortable around water. She couldn’t fly in it and she couldn’t breathe fire in it. Couldn’t breathe, period. She’d been trained how to swim from an early age by a former Olympic medalist, but being good at it didn’t make the experience any less unpleasant.

“There is no need to push yourself, my daughter,” said Karakostas. “I know you harbor certain discomforts about swimming. The last two days have been more than enough to prove the conviction of your beliefs to me, if not their accuracy.”

Had her father deliberately created this particular challenge for her? She sighed. Of **course** he had. They’d agreed on their challenge months ago, and he would have had plenty of time to request something like this. Karakostas was many things, but never the type of man to pass up an advantage when he saw one.

She knew that he thought this was all just some foolish fancy of hers. The day the game began, he’d been unable to hide his surprise when she’d met him at their agreed upon location, already naked and masked. He’d expected her to back down when the time came, and probably fall to her knees begging him to release her from their agreement. It was easy to see why he hadn’t taken their challenge seriously. Growing up, she’d been given everything she wanted, sometimes before she even knew she wanted it. She’d spent her life eating the finest meals, wearing the finest clothes, and having a small army worth of servants at her beck and call. She’d grown up in the lap of luxury, and never ventured outside of it. In all her life, she’d still never even stepped foot outside the Paradisium. How ridiculous it must seem to him, that his pampered, sheltered daughter thought she could play the role of a sex slave.

But the joke was on him: she had already been a slave all her life. A very well kept slave, but that didn’t make the bars go away. She’d been given everything she’d ever wanted, except the ability to decide anything for herself. Before she’d even been born, Karakostas had planned out every detail of her life. What kind of person he wanted her to be, how she would spend her time, what she would love and what she would hate… maybe slave was too generous a term. She’d never been anything to him but a doll to dress up.

Delphyne wanted to see the world, she wanted to meet new people. She wanted to make a difference, and for the better. The Paradisium and everything it stood for disgusted her, but not as much as her father’s assumption that she would help him run it when she grew older. She would sooner die than contribute to this nightmare place.

To her shame, she hadn’t always felt this way. For most of her life, she’d actually been happy to live in her gilded cage, and she’d swallowed every lie her father fed her without hesitation. They hadn’t been blatant lies, like trying to hide the nature of the Paradisium. They’d been far more insidious. Some people were superior to others, he’d taught her, and dragons were superior to all. Those who had obtained power were worthy of it by definition, and those who were powerless deserved whatever they got.

For far too long, she hadn’t questioned the atrocities of the Paradisium. The men and women who owned slaves all possessed great influence and wealth, and that didn’t just mean that they could do whatever they wanted, it meant that they **should**. The commoners beneath them barely qualified as people, just mindless sheep to be herded this way and that. To exploit them for your own desires was no different than plucking fruit off a tree to satisfy your hunger. And the ones beneath them, the slaves? It was generous to even call them alive. They weren’t **people** , not really, not in any ways that mattered. They were simply toys that existed for others to play with. The cruelty of their treatment was irrelevant: they were property, and those who owned them had the right to use their property however they liked, even if what they liked was to break and destroy them.

Delphyne had even owned a slave of her own once, a gift from her father when she’d become of age. The memory made her feel like scum, but at the time she’d seen nothing wrong with it. The girl’s name had been Ellie, and she’d been the daughter of a Paradisium customer whose debts had piled up. Delphyne hadn’t deliberately mistreated her, but only because she’d never felt the need to. Ellie had tended to all of her needs, like bathing her and dressing her and bringing her food. And sex. Delphyne hadn’t even known the concept of consent when she took Ellie to her bed that first night. In her mind, asking the girl if she’d wanted to do this would have been like asking a dress if it wanted to be worn. Ellie had pleasured her with her tongue then, and on many other occasions. It was common, in fact, for the girl to spend more time with her head between the dragon’s legs than she did standing up. Delphyne had never returned the favor.

The dragon hadn’ts held any animosity towards the woman. If asked, she would have described her feelings as affection. Not the affection of one person for another, or even a person for their pet. More like a person and her favorite chair. Sometimes she liked to imagine that Ellie hadn’t been miserable serving her, that she’d been able to find some happiness with Delphyne as her mistress, but she knew that was just wishful thinking. She had not been deliberately cruel, but she had not been kind either. She’d done things like have Ellie beaten for slacking off, or let her servants take the slave to their own beds when they asked. She’d thought, stupidly, that it was simply how things were done. Her actions were not borne out of malice, but that didn’t mean anything.

Ellie was only human, and after about a decade of hard work both her physical health and beauty had declined. Delphyne hadn’t really considered what it would mean for the woman when she’d asked father for a a new slave to replace her. She’d just sort of assumed that they would find someone else who wanted Ellie. And if they did decide to put her down, well, she’d served her purpose, hadn’t she?

They’d made her meat.

Delphyne would still be a blind and stupid doll if the woman hadn’t fled at some point. One of the men had broken her arm in several places, not realizing that the mangled limb would allow her to escape her restraints if she was desperate enough. Ellie had known that there was no way she’d be able to escape the Paradisium, so she’d run to her only hope of rescue instead: her mistress. Delphyne had been shocked when the bloody, battered woman had stumbled into her quarters to beg for mercy. Her pursuers had been right behind her, and Delphyne had witnessed firsthand the way that they treated meat.

She’d known rationally what the term meant. Father had always made it sound almost humane: unwanted or disobedient slaves would be destroyed in whatever manner others found pleasing, so that their deaths would double as their final acts of servitude. But she hadn’t **known** what it meant to be meat until she’d watched Ellie brutally raped, beaten and murdered right in front of her. They took their time, no doubt angry with her for making them give chase. Delphyne had seen the hatred in their eyes, the raw sadism that drove them. And she’d heard Ellie’s screams. For as long as she could, until she was too badly injured to form words anymore, Ellie had continued begging her for help. And when she couldn’t speak anymore,she’d just stared at her, wordlessly praying for salvation.

The dragon hadn’t known what to do. She’d been paralyzed with indecision, trapped between the comforting lies she’d been told all her life and the stark reality in front of her. So she’d just watched. Whenever she looked back on her life and all the terrible things she’d done, that moment stood out as the worst. She’d just watched.

Ellie hadn’t been a dress, or a chair, or a piece of fruit, or a pet, or a toy, or anything else. She’d been a person, with as much right to life and happiness as anyone else, and she’d been tortured to death because Delphyne had wanted a younger face between her legs.

Delphyne’s eyes had been opened after that. Opened far too late, but opened. She’d foolishly believed for a time that she could convince her father to see reason, that he’d been as blind to it all as she had been. But eventually she’d accepted the truth: her father already knew everything. He just didn’t care. It was then that she’d realized her own place in the world. Her father didn’t see her as a person anymore than she’d seen Ellie as one. She was just a piece of property labeled “daughter” to him.

She knew that when he’d suggested this challenge to her, he hadn’t been serious. “Enter and win the Paradisium Game this year as a slave and I’ll hand total control over to you.” It had just been a way to shut her up. But she’d called his bluff and forced his hand. She **would** bring this place down, or die trying.

Delphyne stood up in her boat and looked down at the water. It stared back at her, dark and unknowable. “I cannot stop you from doing this,” said Karakostas. “But neither can I save you if things go wrong. I suggest you listen to logic and reason over capricious emotions, Astaria. This will not go well for you.”

She ignored him as she focused on the watery depths. If what Emmeck had announced was true, she would need to go down there if she wanted any hope of winning. There were few things that she wanted to do less, but it didn’t matter. This was just another obstacle her father had put in her way to slow her down. He still thought that when push came to shove, she’d give in. But she was done with just watching, and she’d been standing still for far too long already. Delphyne took a deep breath, then plunged into the sea.

**********

The closer Seo-yun got to the island, the more ominous it looked. Those cliffs hadn’t seemed so bad from a distance, but now that she was up close, they were more than a little intimidating. The dock would have been much easier, but there was no way she’d get anywhere near it without being spotted, which left only the cliffs. She did her best to dry her hands, then grabbed a jutting stone and began to haul herself up.

Seo-yun had never been much of a swimmer, even in her natural form, but she’d found that she took to the water quite easily. Except for her tails, which had become furry anchors when waterlogged. It was the first time she’d ever felt positive about not having all nine. It had still taken hours of swimming to catch up to the kidnappers though. It wasn’t simply a matter of swimming speed; she’d had to make constant detours to evade the underwater creatures. Left on her own, she would have fallen victim to them within minutes. Celeste’s assistance avoiding them had been invaluable.

“And our favorite phoenix has become officially airtight!” crowed Emmeck. “The boys learned their lesson after that first unfortunate soul and put a ring gag on her. Are there any cameras available for a closeup? Yes, just look at that cock sliding down her throat! She doesn’t seem too happy about it, does she?” He laughed. “These pirates seem to have things well in hand. See that collar the lovely Ember is now sporting? It only allows a trickle of breath - when her throat isn’t too stuffed full of meat, of course! As long as they keep her from getting too much oxygen, she won’t able to light up, and they’ll have a soft helpless phoenix to play with! But be careful boys, because you just might be playing with fire!”

Seo-yun tried not to let Emmeck’s running commentary on Ember’s gangrape bother her. It sounded like there were about thirty men stationed on the island, and all of them had congregated to the phoenix to have their turn with her, leaving everywhere else unguarded and unwatched. If she could sneak in close enough, she could do something to help the woman escape. It would have been nice to have the slightest idea what that something was, but it was the best plan she could come up with.

The fox reached the top of the cliff and pushed herself up and over it. The island itself was mostly flat, but there were a few bushes here and there, and she quickly too cover behind one. Thirty against one were poor odds, but she still had one major advantage: no one knew she was there. As long as she held the element of surprise, it was just a matter of being patient and looking for opportunities.

“What’s this?” asked Emmeck. “A second guest has arrived at the pirate hideout! It appears that Ginger has gotten jealous of all of Ember’s attention, because here comes the little fox now! That’s fantastic news for our marauders: twice the number of holes means twice as many happy cocks down there, just as soon as they get their hands on her! Oh no, not that way: she’s down on the southwest side! Good luck with your fox hunt, boys!”

Seo-yun cursed and began running.


	10. Ashes

"Oh, I know this one," said one of the grinning pirates. "She's the selkie, the one that guy who runs the Mists sent in. You ever fuck one of them girls? Hear they got cunts soft and sweet as butter, the whole lot of 'em."

"You heard right," said one of his two companions. "I went there as someone's bodyguard once, got to fuck every girl he was bored with." He leered at their victim. "We're in for a real treat today, boys. The holes we got right here go for thousands in the Mists, and worth every penny."

"Thousands?" Snowflake said scornfully. "You think I'm that cheap?" Master Mordred didn't let any of the customers touch her unless they were willing to pay an absolute fortune; she was his personal fox fucktoy. Not that it was an improvement. Getting gangbanged for hours on end was still preferable to a single session with the vampire.

But somehow he'd gotten the idea a few months ago that she thought being almost exclusively for his own use made her think she was something special. "Being my private toilet still makes you just a toilet" was how he'd put it. And that was how she'd ended up in the Paradisium Game, with this stupid moniker of Snowflake. Master Mordred wanted to remind her of just how little respect he had for her.

She'd survived the first two rounds though, and there weren't all that many contestants left anymore. She would win this entire thing, and when she did, she would get to throw her victory in his face. He'd punish her for it, sure, but he punished her for anything and everything. Nothing he could do to her would erase the satisfaction of making him look foolish for once. Between this rare chance to deflate his pride, and getting to cum yesterday after centuries of forced denial, she was feeling more like herself than she had in a long time.

Screw going in the water, she'd decided early on today. The others could go play with the fucking hentai monsters if they wanted. She'd stuck to the ships instead, collecting a small but steady supply of points from each one. And now here on the deck of her most recent one, she'd found a bonus: something to kill.

"No need for anyone to get hurt, girl," said one of them as he approached with a knife. "You just do as you're told and we'll all have a bit of fun together, yeah? You spend a little time draining our balls and then you get to leave, nice and easy."

"How about a counter offer?" Snowflake suggested. "The first one of you to get down on your knees and apologize for wasting my time gets to live."

None of the men seemed interested as they formed a loose circle around her. "I call dibs on that cunt," one man said.

"No fair!" said another. "And I call her ass."

"Fuck you both," grumbled the third. "I'm gonna throatfuck this selkie whore to death then."

Snowflake smiled behind her otter mask. Getting to cum and getting to murder some stupid men? If this kept up, she might actually have to thank that soulless bastard for sending her here.

  
**********

  
Seo-yun darted through the doorway and shut it behind her as quickly and quietly as she could manage. Seconds later, she heard her five pursuers run down the hall right past her hiding place. The fox continued holding her breath until the sound of their boots had completely faded.

Their game of hide and seek had been going on for nearly an hour now. The pirates had no shortage of manpower, but Seo-yun had already been a hunter a century before any of them were born. Even in human form, she was far better at this than they were. Still, they only had to get lucky once, and there had already been several close calls. On the bright side, she'd successfully figured out the "something" she could do to help Samantha escape. At least twenty of the pirates had ceased raping the phoenix to help chase after her. If she could frustrate them just a bit longer, she might convince them to all take part, and from there she'd just have to hope that Sam was capable of capitalizing on the opportunity.

All her running around had yielded an unexpected bonus: she had far more points than she'd come in with. There'd been blue ribbons strewn all over the fortress, and some reds as well. If she could make it back at the end of the day, and she was aware that was a very large if, she should have no trouble advancing to the next round.

"Emmeck has not given any new commentary regarding your location for some time now," said Celeste. The woman spoke softly, so as not to startle her. "He possibly realized that his directions were a doubled edged blade." The announcer had sent the pirates straight towards Seo-yun multiple times, leading to all her pursuers trying to converge on her, but that same singlemindedness had given the fox the room to evade them. Knowing where they were all going also meant knowing where they weren't going, after all. If Emmeck had been determined to help them hunt her down, no evasive tactics would have worked for very long, but the man had other contestants to comment on as well, and only interfered with Seo-yun every few minutes.

"What's more," Celeste continued, "he has stopped reporting on Ember's situation for the same span of time. There is a chance that this is because all of their manpower is now focused on your capture and there is nothing to report. Or he may simply be trying to minimize your access to outside information, to prevent you from continuing to take advantage of it."

Either way, it sounded to Seo-yun like her current situation was as good as it was going to get. If she was ever going to act, now was the time. Listening carefully for the others, she slipped back into the hallway and down the stairs.

Her destination was the basement. According to Emmeck, they had a "playroom" as he called it down there where they were keeping Sam. He'd gleefully described them beating her with whips and crops as part of their efforts to tame the woman. Unfortunately, as far as she'd been able to tell while she'd been running around, there was only a single way in or out of the basement. If she wasn't quick, or if Emmeck spoke up at the wrong moment, she'd be handing herself over to them.

It took another few minutes to reach the door to the basement without attracting any attention from the roaming pirates. It was unlocked, but the hinges squeaked softly as it opened, and it sounded as loud as thunder to the fox. She descended the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could manage. The basement was a long hallway made up to look like a makeshift prison with open cells on each side. Like the ships, it was mostly for show, with plenty of fake blood on the walls and plastic skeletons attached to manacles. Whips, knives, and other classic instruments of torture lined the walls, all of them stained with more fake blood. Seo-yun could smell real blood up ahead though, and the scent made her quicken her pace. Depending on how rough they'd been with her, Samantha might not even be in a state to move anymore.

The cell at the far end of the hall was decidedly different that the others. In addition to the usual tools, it had more modern looking ones, like a cattle prod and a taser, as well as items of a more sexual nature, like dildos and gags. Everything looked more functional than decorative, and there were several modified hospital gurneys where someone could be cuffed, complete with carefully placed holes that would allow access to all of a prisoner's orifices no matter the gurney's position.

There were also corpses. Genuine ones. The pirates hadn't heeded Emmeck's warning about Sam after all. Five men lay dead in the room, all of them cut up and bloody. There was no sign of the weapon responsible, but there was also a noticeable space in the array of tools along the walls. One of the gurneys, presumably the one Sam had been bound to, had the cuffs torn off of it. The room was otherwise empty, with no sign of the phoenix.

A sense of deja vu began to fill Seo-yun. No, she thought, torn between fear and sheer annoyance. Samantha couldn't have, not again... she had. The fox could already smell the smoke behind her.

"She's a pyromaniac," Seo-yun muttered, as she poked her head out the room to confirm that flames were emerging from several of the cells. "I'm trying to rescue a pyromaniac."

She'd have bet every point she had that the women had closed and barred the exit too. She turned and re entered the playroom, scanning the walls. Her only hope was that one of the tools here could- "Behind you!" Celeste shouted.

The fox instinctively dove forward, and felt a burst of pain as the tip of one of her trailing tails was sliced off. She rolled as she hit the ground, and spun to see what had attacked her. "Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like we're about to see an early elimination," boomed Emmeck in her ear. "It's taken all day, but the fox and the phoenix have finally crossed paths, and our champion is out for blood! It's not looking good for sweet little Ginger!"

The phoenix's body was covered in welts and cum ran down her legs, but she stood tall, a bloody scimitar in hand and her hair writhing with flames. "The mistake I made last time," Ember said, "was not sticking around to finish the job. This ends here, Yip Yip."

Then she charged at Seo-yun.

  
*********

  
This wasn't so bad, Delphyne told herself. It wasn't so bad. Yes, she was surrounded by far too much water. Yes, she felt as though she would choke to death at any moment. Yes, there were many, many tentacles that all wanted inside her. But she was managing.

She'd been grabbed by a leviathan almost immediately after submerging, and it had been a terrifying experience. She hadn't even seen the beast coming until it grabbed hold of her wings and yanked her closer with all the ease of a child playing with a bath toy. One tentacle jammed itself into her mouth and started working its way down into her stomach, while more tentacles had pulled her arms and legs behind her, knotting them all together in a hogtie. Then, as if determined to impress on her just how completely powerless she was against it, it had wrapped another tentacle around her head, covering her eyes. She'd been unable to do or see anything as the monster had begun stroking her spread thighs with its limbs.

Delphyne had slept with Ellie many times, but that had been her only sexual relationship, and nothing larger than the woman's tongue and fingers had ever penetrated her. Father hadn't spoken since she'd entered the waters, but she knew he must still be watching, and wondered if he realized that in some ways she was about to give her virginity - multiple virginities - to this nameless sea creature. It wasn't the way she had expected to lose them, but she'd known going in that they wouldn't survive the Paradisium Game.

She was just a little proud of herself for not screaming when the wiggling tip of the first tentacle had squirmed inside of her, not even pausing as it ruptured her hymen. She was less proud of the way she'd panicked, making the water around her churn as she struggled in vain. It had hurt far more than she'd expected; she'd been dry, and the slime coating the monster's appendages had been no substitute for actual lubrication. The way its rubbery hide had scraped against the walls of her most intimate place as it progressed deeper into her had been, by far, the greatest pain of her life.

Unfortunately, the experience had only held that record for a few seconds before a different tentacle chose her asshole to be its fleshlight. Where the other one had wriggled and squirmed, this one drilled, its hard tip driving relentlessly into the dragon's bowels like it meant to gut her. Then she had screamed, the sound so thoroughly blocked by the fat tentacle down her throat that she could not hear her own cry, only feel its vibration.

And then the monster had begun to rape her, and Delphyne had been forced to reevaluate all of her preconceived notions about pain.

Both tentacles had pounded her roughly. The one in her vagina slammed into her cervix on every thrust, thumping against it with enough force to send vibrations through her entire body. The one in her asshole was seemingly determined to fit as much of itself as possible into her. Each frenzied, jackhammer like thrust drove it a little deeper into her intestines and widened her anal ring a little more in the process, until she was convinced that her draconic resilience was the one and only reason she hadn't ripped in half.

It felt like they used her for hours, and when they finally began to cum, Delphyne was given no time for even the slightest stirring of relief. Their sperm was the lubrication the creature was waiting for to really begin raping her, and as soon as the tentacles began expelling the white slime, more tentacles had eagerly rushed in to join them. When the original two popped out of her, she already had two more tentacles in her vagina and asshole each, all four as thick and as excited as the ones that had first breached her. And all around her she'd felt more tentacles stroking her body, all impatiently waiting their own turns to be inside of her.

The creature only seemed to grow more depraved as time went on. With every new squirt of semen inside her that signaled one tentacle finishing, two more would immediately take its place, like some sort of twisted hydra. By the time Delphyne wore herself out and found herself laying still, there were five tentacles inside each of her lower holes. The monster had seemed unsatisfied by her lack of movement, and had begun using its hold on her wings to manhandle her, pushing her body back in forth in rhythm with the tentacles using her. It had told her without needing words that she didn't even rise to the level of prey in its eyes. She was just a warm thing that it could use to pleasure itself.

For a time, she'd thought that the beast might literally fuck her to death. Wouldn't that be quite an ending for Astaria, daughter of the great and power Karakostas, she'd thought, the idea strangely comical down there in the darkness. Raped to death deep underwater, in an artificial sea just below her own father's palace, by a monster that was technically employed by him. But then, miraculously, it had begun to calm down. It hadn't stopped raping her, that appeared to be too burdensome a request, but its ferocity had ceased and it was now more like... like a dog humping her leg, except it had a thousand penises and was humping her everywhere. It had stopped trying to restrain and blind her, and she'd soon worked out how to make it move. So yes. A great deal of water, a great deal of tentacles, and not nearly enough air. But she was doing okay.

And Delphyne couldn't deny its usefulness, at least. She now had thirty more points worth of ribbons than when she'd woken up that morning, and there was still time left. She just had to make the most of it.

The dragon tensed when she saw another leviathan approaching on an intercept course, and her agitation resulted in several more tentacles pushing into her holes, but to her relief, it wasn't another looking to join in. Crikey raised a hand in greeting as her beast brought her closer, and Delphyne did the same. The koala woman appeared to be remarkably adept at controlling the animal, deftly maneuvering it until the two of them were traveling in parallel beside one another.

Crikey raised a fist and alternated between a thumbs up and a thumbs down gesture. Delphyne answered the query with a thumbs up of her own, trying her best to smile around the thick tentacle providing her with oxygen. The koala nodded, then reached out and took hold of Delphyne's clenched fist.

A jolt ran through the dragon, and suddenly her entire body itched.

It was like a fire beneath her skin, and even as the rational part of her brain told herself that she had to hold still, the rest of her began squirming and flailing, trying to scratch everywhere at once. The leviathan reacted immediately, grabbing hold of her limbs again and violently pounding her. Delphyne screamed at herself to calm down, but her body wouldn't listen, jerking and twitching as the maddening itch raged inside of her, and every movement incited the leviathan to treat her rougher and rougher.

Delphyne looked at Crikey, hoping that she was misunderstanding something, but the koala was already deftly untying the woman's ribbons from her flailing limbs. As soon as she had all of them, she raised her hands in a mocking heart gesture and led her leviathan away. A tentacle wrapped around her head again, and Delphyne was once more blind and helpless beneath the waves as she was reduced to a monster's plaything.

  
**********

  
"Wait!" Seo-yun shouted, almost falling over backwards in her attempt to get away from Ember. "Please, I don't want to fight!"

"Neither do I," said the phoenix as she gave chase. "I just want to kill you." She attacked Seo-yun with a wide slash from her scimitar, and the fox only barely dodged out of the way, receiving a shallow cut across her stomach instead of being disemboweled. "So hold still and we can both get this over with."

"Damn it, Samantha, I just want to talk!" said Seo-yun. Her back was to the hallway now and she slowly edged out of the playroom, ready to move if and when the phoenix attacked her again. "Why can't you ever just listen?!" She could feel the heat of the flames all around her. The woman wouldn't have to land a single blow to kill her. All she had to do was keep Seo-yun occupied for a few more minutes, and the fire and smoke would do the job for her.

"Do you think I'm stupid, Yip Yip?" Ember asked, keeping slow pace with the fox. "You expect me to believe you hunted me all the way here just so we could, what, have a little chat?"

"Hunted you?" said Seo-yun. The idea was so ridiculous she could almost laugh. "Are you blind? I'm covered head to toe in injuries, I can barely stand, and you think I decided that this was the day to challenge the champion to a fight?"

Ember paused. "What injuries?"

"What do you-" Seo-yun glanced down at herself and saw that the woman was right. All of her injuries, every last mark that Snowflake had given her last night, was completely gone. Even the cut on her stomach had already vanished. She'd been so focused that she hadn't even realized it. And now that she thought about it, she'd been running and swimming and doing other physical activities all day today, and yet she wasn't tired at all. She felt better than she had in months, actually.

"I take it you have just noticed your condition?" Celeste said. "Please excuse my impropriety in not bringing it to your attention. After reviewing yesterday's events, I believed there was a distinct possibility that, should you become aware that your regenerative capabilities had returned, they might disappear again."

Something wasn't right here, Seo-yun realized. Snowflake had said her powers might come back intermittently as the human soul within her killed her, but this didn't seem like that, and she didn't feel like someone who was dying. The nogitsune had seemed like she was telling the truth, but she could have been wrong somehow?

The fox was so distracted that she nearly lost her head when Ember came in for another attack, and rolled to the side only at the last minute. The mistake cost her dearly however; she ended up in one of the smaller prison cells, with the phoenix blocking the doorway. There was no more room to run anymore. Her eyes darted around the room for something to defend herself with, but most of the torture equipment was either too bulky or unwieldy to use, or bolted to the wall as decoration.

Feeling desperate, Seo-yun went for the only thing she had at hand, pulling one of the three glass bottles of water out of her pack and gripping it by the neck as though it were a club. A club that at best would last a handful of hits before it shattered and left her defenseless again. Odds were she wouldn't even survive long enough to reach that point. She'd never done any kind of armed combat, while Ember held the deadly scimitar like she'd been born with it. But this was her only option if she wanted to defend herself, and she wasn't going to lay down and die. "It's not true," she pleaded as she slowly backed away. "I swear, I never had any intention of hurting you! I wanted to help you!"

"Do you think it even matters?" Ember asked softly as she closed the distance. "I don't really care why you came here, Yip Yip. You're my competition, and that means you're in my way. I'm not looking for help, I'm looking to win."

Metal crunched into glass as Seo-yun just barely managed to intercept the woman's strike with the bottle. She'd blocked at an angle to avoid a direct impact, but even that sent glass shards flying and created a spiderweb of cracks. Undaunted, Ember struck again, and Seo-yun again was able to block just in time. The bottle lasted only two more strikes before it exploded. The fox flinched, her hand dripping blood where glass splinters had dug in.

The phoenix advanced, trying to capitalize on her advantage, but Seo-yun had already wrapped one of her tails around a second bottle, and she yanked it out quickly enough to parry the strike. Ember cursed as she rained more blows down, all of them aimed to kill, and Seo-yun continued to deflect each of them, surviving only by the skin of her teeth. She didn't even know how she was doing it; Ember's blade was flashing almost too quickly for the fox's eyes to even follow, and she expected to feel it bite into her flesh at any moment, but instead there was only the ugly sound of metal meeting glass, again and again. The second bottle broke after less than a minute, and now she was already down to her last one.

As she defended herself, Seo-yun's mind raced to figure out what was going on. Her survival was more than just blind luck. Fighting like this, on two legs with a weapon in hand, felt somehow familiar, almost as familiar as hunting on all fours. But that was impossible, she'd never- Seo-yun staggered back, bleeding heavily from a wound she'd only partially blocked. The third and final bottle fell from her numb fingers to shatter on the floor, and she collapsed. The cut continued to bleed, showing no sign of healing. She struggled to rise back to her feet, but all of her strength had left her, and she sank back down, so exhausted that she was barely even conscious now.

The underground prison suddenly seemed so very cold, and her skin felt flushed and feverish. Had Snowflake been right after all? Had what was happening just now been only the last flickers of life in her? But it had felt so right. She felt like she'd been whole, in a way she had never felt even as a gumiho. And then it had vanished. What had given her that power, and what had taken it away? Was it simply a matter of whether or not she was thinking about it? No, that couldn't be it. She knew there was something more, that she was on the verge of understanding, but she was tired and cold and there was no time left. "Please, Samantha," she mumbled, trying one last time to reach the woman. "Don't do this..."

The phoenix approached warily, kicking what was left of the bottle away with the sweep of a foot. "My name," she growled as she went in for the kill, "is Ember!"

Time seemed to slow down as the fox watched the blade descend. It was almost funny in its own way: she was in the middle of dying all on her own, but the phoenix was going to beat her to it. She wished again that she could have simply given her body over to Morris, who would have no doubt used it much better. I'm sorry Morris, she whispered silently. I know how much you wanted to save Samantha. I did too... after all the people she'd killed and he'd hurt, a single life saved wouldn't mean much, but it would have been a good start for the both of them.

And then she realized the truth, and it was so simple that she felt foolish for not figuring it out sooner. She didn't know how to fight like this, just like she didn't know Samantha, and didn't know how to swim well, and had no idea what stereotypical eighteenth century European pirate ships looked like.

But Morris did.

Seo-yun caught Ember's arm as it descended, stopping the blade inches from her flesh. Sam tried to tug herself free, but the fox held on easily. "No," she said with confidence, "your name is Samantha. Your father named you after your grandfather, to get back at the man for always pestering him about wanting a grandson."

She let go of Sam's arm and instead of pressing the attack again, the woman stumbled backwards, her eyes wide behind the mask. "How... how do you know that?" she asked, sounding truly flustered for the first time.

Seo-yun picked herself up off the ground. The cut Samantha had given her was gone, and she felt good, like she could go run in a triathlon right now. Just one more thing that a gumiho living in isolation in South Korea had never heard of. "I know it because Jack Morris knows it," she told the woman calmly, and put a hand over her heart. "Because maybe the two souls inside me don't have to fight and destroy each other, not if they share a common goal. I think you're the one who woke him up, you know. Right after the interview, when you came out. Even with that mask on, he recognized you the moment he saw you." Seo-yun remembered how she'd begun to feel different after that. Begun to resent the rules she was bound to, begun to remember that she was more than some rich couple's warm condom. "And then he woke me up too."

Sam came at her again. "I don't know where you met Jack," she hissed, "and I don't care. He either died or never cared a damn about me." Seo-yun smoothly sidestepped away from it, then smacked the flat of the blade with her foot to throw the woman off balance before she could follow it up with another attack. She didn't worry about how she knew how to do that, and more importantly, she didn't try to tell herself that she couldn't. She just accepted it as a part of herself.

"I'm sorry, Samantha," the fox said. "He thought you were dead. If he had known, he would never have given up searching for you." She silently apologized to Morris as well, for being scared of Samantha that first night. It was that internal conflict that had sparked the loss of her regeneration. It had returned when the two of them were focused on the same goal, like rescuing Snowflake or helping Samantha, and then vanished again when she let herself be distracted from the truth. Though to be fair, she whispered to herself, your ex is kind of a piece of work, almost as much as I am. Do you have a thing for women with lots of baggage?

"Shut up!" the phoenix screamed. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!". Her attacks were wild and unfocused now, and Seo-yun easily avoided them by slapping away her wrist or simply stepping out of the way. "Samantha did die! She was a stupid, worthless cunt, and nobody came to save her, and she died!"

Seo-yun was uncomfortably aware of the flames still spreading all around them. No matter how good she might be feeling, she wasn't fireproof. This fight was a waste of time. "I can't change the past, Sam," she said. "I can't take away the pain, and I can't wash away the scars. But I can do something about your future. That's why I'm here. Because I want to save you. We want to save you." She let her arms drop to her sides, offering herself up to Sam. "You're not alone anymore."

Samantha's blade struck the fox. And shattered against her skin.

The phoenix stared at the broken hilt she was holding, and didn't resist when Seo-yun plucked it from her shaking fingers. "I know how hard it is to trust others," the redhead told her gently. "Believe me, I know all too well. I've stood where you stand and told myself that the only way to stay safe was to never allow anyone to get close enough to hurt me." The heat of the flames was almost overpowering, and Seo-yun could feel the sweat pouring off her skin. "But if you think you can get rid of us just by trying to kill us, I have some bad news. We won't leave you alone that easi..." Her vision blurred, and Seo-yun's limbs suddenly weren't working right. She collapsed to the ground like a marionette.

Everything was hot. A burning inferno in her head that went far beyond the flames drawing closer. Was it another conflict between her and Morris? No, she could feel that wasn't the case, sense the link between them now that she knew what to look for. They'd pushed themselves too hard, she realized. Even working in tandem, they were still two souls in one body, and that body wasn't used to the strain yet. Seo-yun looked up at Samantha as her consciousness began to fade, trying without success to read her expression through her mask "Well..." she whispered. "Guess this is your chance after all... sorry... know it's not an easy choice to make..."

We tried our best, Morris, she told herself as the darkness closed in. Even if this was the end, she was glad they'd died trying.

  
**********

  
"Please," the last pirate begged. His clothes were tattered and stained with blood, only some of it his. He knelt, forehead pressed to the ground. "Please, have mercy, mistress! I-I'm just an employee here! They, they told us to come down in these costumes and, and attack the contestants. I was just doing my job, honest!'

"Hmmm," Snowflake said skeptically. She licked some of the blood off her fingertips. It was appealingly sweet; fresh blood always was. "Let's see if you really deserve mercy. Are you sorry for being so rude?"

"Yes, mistress!" he swore, banging his forehead on the ground in obeisance. "I humbly apologize!"

"And will you ever show me such disrespect again?"

"No, mistress! Not on my life!"

"Good, good," Snowflake said. She let one of her invisible tails glide over the man, enjoying the way he trembled and shivered at its touch. Some of his friends' blood was still caked on it. "Last question: are you so stupid that you actually thought I was ever going to spare any of you?"

He froze, but the tail was already tight around his neck. He twisted and rolled across the deck, flopping like a beached fish as his fingers scrabbled at the tail that was choking the life out of him. The last thing he heard before he went limp and silent forever was Snowflake laughing at how ridiculous he looked.

  
**********

  
Ember had only been rowing for a few minutes when the fox groaned and started to rise from where she laid on the bottom of the boat. "Careful," the phoenix said sharply. "You fall in, and I'm not going to bother fishing you out."

The fox carefully rose and sat on the stern of the boat, facing Ember. Her fingers were trembling and her face was red, but her condition appeared to be improving. "You saved me," she said softly, half statement and half question. 

"Don't go making mountains out of molehills, Yip Yip," Ember grumbled. "I decided not to let you burn to death. Yet. It doesn't mean we're friends."

The fox nodded, but she wore a small smile behind her mask. "Can I help? With the rowing?"

"If you've got someone in your ear who isn't a flaming piece of shit, the best thing you can do is help me steer clear of the tentacles. All I've been doing is going straight on." Their fight had left Master Sindak at a loss for words for once, but not for long. She was grateful that the receivers couldn't carry sound back; if he knew that the fox knew her from her past life - sorta, kinda - he would do his best to destroy the woman just to make his slave suffer. As it was, he was chortling over her apparent softness in sparing someone's life. He'd find ways to torment her about it after the Game was over, of that she was more than certain.

The fox made a few pointing motions, paused for a short time, and then nodded again. "Celeste says this route should be good, as long as we don't stray southward. She'll let us know if that changes."

Us. When was the last time she'd been part of an 'us'? Ember shook the thought away. "So Jack's dead, huh?" she asked. For years she'd wondered if he'd survived the day Master Sindak took her. She'd known it was unlikely, and she'd accepted long ago that he must have died, but it still hurt to have it confirmed.

"Yes," said the fox. "...Mostly. There's still a piece of him inside me. I, um, ate him. It wasn't by choice, he was trying to help me, but... it's a long story."

Ember snorted. "I doubt it's all that long," she said. "He always did have a thing for red heads."

To her surprise, the fox blushed at her statement, the tips of her ears glowing brightly above her mask. "It's not like that! I, I only knew Morris a very short time. We only ever even talked once. But he was a good man, and it was my fault he died. If I'd trusted him sooner, then maybe... maybe he'd..." She closed her eyes, her body wavering a little. 

"I don't really understand your... everything," Ember admitted, "but it looks like he doesn't agree with you about that. Jack was a big man, and whatever risks he took, I'm sure he knew what they were going in."

The fox took a deep breath. "You're right," she said slowly. "Both of you. Life is just a lot simpler when I can blame everything on myself." She already looked more stable.

For a little while there was just the sound of the oar hitting the water. "So, if he's inside you," Ember asked eventually, "does that mean the two of us are technically married?"

The fox's eyes widened. "You... you're married?!"

Ember looked at her skeptically. "You know a story I told him all of once about my Dad and Grandpa Sam, but not that my full name is Samantha Morris?" Your name was Samantha Morris said a voice in her head, but now it's just 'meat'. She tried to ignore it.

"It... I... I only get bits and pieces, " the fox said, still flustered. "I knew you were important to him, but not..." She swallowed. "He told me about you, shortly before he passed, but he didn't mention it then either."

"I'm not surprised," said the phoenix dryly. "Bastard probably hid his wedding ring too."

"He..." the fox's gaze became distant for a moment. "He found it difficult to think about. Calling you his wife just reminded him how you had your lives all planned out. Saving up for a house, talking about what you would name our children... it was easier to try and forget about the future that I -he- had lost."

"You really are in there, aren't you, Jack?" Ember said. She gave a low laugh. "Don't we make a pair? A ghost and a... whatever the fuck I am now." Meat. You're just meat. "But for whatever it's worth, it's good to see you again."

"We're not just going to see you," the fox said fiercely. "We're going to help you."

"Yeah? Then pass over those ribbons." Ember raised her arm to indicate all her new red and pinks. "There were a bunch in the pirate dungeon, but I can always use more. "

"I'm not talking about the game. I'm talking about real help. Help escaping."

"I'd rather have the ribbons," Ember said flatly. "I'm leaning towards not killing you, Yip Yip, but don't push me. There is no escape, and trying just gives them an excuse to really hurt you." There had been a time when she'd spent every waking moment dreaming about escape. Master Sindak had thoroughly burned that out of her. After her first escape attempt, he'd gotten her to beg for death for a solid week before he was satisfied that she'd learned her lesson. And all of that torture paled in comparison to what he'd done to her for the second attempt.

After her harsh rebuke, neither of them were feeling particularly talkative. The fake stars shone down as their boat quietly glided across the water.

It was Ember who finally broke the silence again. "I didn't need your help," she told the fox. "I would have gotten out of that dungeon with or without you distracting them. It just made things a little convenient for me."

The fox nodded without speaking.

"But... I believe that you really are stupid enough to come try and help me, even though I'm your biggest threat," she said begrudgingly. "I mean... what I'm trying to say is........ thanks. For the help."

The fox smiled, and to Ember's surprise, tears started to drip down from beneath her mask. "You're welcome," she said hoarsely.

  
**********

  
"Five minutes, ladies!" Emmeck cried. "It's been a day full of astounding upsets, but it's a day that's almost over!"

Delphyne groaned, still struggling in a sea of angry tentacles. If she was going to escape this underwater hell, it was now or never. Her wings were being pinned by countless appendages, but if she could free them, if she could get out of the water and into the air, the beast wouldn't be able to follow her. It was a ludicrous plan, but it was the only one she had, and she threw everything she had into it, straining against her captor. And as she fought it, her wings began to move. The movement was slow, too slow, but the unexpected success gave her hope and renewed strength. Her wings beat once, twice, and she felt herself rising slightly before the weight of the leviathan stopped her like an anchor.

She cursed the beast that was using her so savagely. She was more than a toy, more than a squirming vessel for its cum! She was Astaria, and for her own sake, and for Ellie, and for everyone else suffering thanks to the Paradisium, she had to keep going! She kept beating her wings, not caring if what she was trying was impossible. This wasn't about what she could do, it was about what she had to do. She silently screamed as she pushed herself to the breaking point and past it. She would overpower this monster or rip her own wings off trying.

She rose, just a little. And then a little more, and a little more, until she was racing through the water. She felt cold air on her body as she broke the surface and soared upwards, and it was the sweetest feeling she'd ever known. The leviathan's tentacles fell away from her as she ascended, the beast giving up the fight. Delphyne rejoiced in her in her success, in her freedom, in the wonderful breaths of air. Now if she could only-

"And that's the end of round three!" announced Emmeck. "With zero points, Delphyne, the emerald dragon, has been eliminated!"

Delphyne's wings froze, and the dragon plummeted. No, she screamed internally, her vocal cords as unresponsive as the rest of her. No, no, no! She had to win! She had to! Everyone was counting on her!

The dragon hit the water like a stone, sinking down into the depths, where the waiting leviathan caught her easily. Delphyne stared up at the surface as it receded, until there was only darkness and a thousand angry tentacles, eager to punish their toy for trying to escape.

  
*********

  
Qarinah heaved a mental sigh when she heard Emmeck announce the end of the round. All good things must come to an end, she reminded herself, and directed her lover back towards the elevator. He began to escort her there, still softly pumping away inside of her, gifting her with a new load of sperm every few seconds.

Poor Delphyne. If she knew where the woman was, she'd try to rescue her, haul her back into the rest area, but this artificial sea was huge and there was no way to even know what direction she was in. She had to think of the others as well; this had likely been a hard day for many of them, and they would need her support. Qarinah hadn't missed the way Delphyne had tried to bring them all together and encourage them to work together instead of falling into infighting. Now that she was gone, the best thing Qarinah could do for her was try and pick up the slack.

All too soon she was nearing her destination. It was time to go. She gently pulled the tentacles out of her, and her partner offered no resistance, though he continued caressing her with more of them. Finally, she drew the last tentacle out of her throat, already missing its comfortable thickness inside of her. She was only a few feet underwater now, and a couple strokes brought her up to the surface, the dock right in front of her.

The succubus reached a hand out to the dock to pull herself out of the water, but paused. It had only taken her a couple minutes to get here, which meant she did still have some time... she glanced beneath her, where she could just barely make out the shadow of her partner still below. Should she really risk it?

The safe thing to do was climb back onto the dock and just hope that tomorrow's round would be just as pleasant, but she found herself hesitating anyway. What if tomorrow was like yesterday, she wondered, a fruitless search for joy. Was it really that bad to get just an extra couple minutes?

Soon she was back in her lover's embrace. He'd clearly missed her too, and made love to her with newfound eagerness. Qarinah relaxed as the pair of them began cumming over and over. Just one more minute, she promised herself. Just one more...

  
**********

  
"Heya Vee!" called Crikey as she strolled into the rest area. "We the only ones back so far?" Nadia nodded, not looking up from the kitchen table where she sat deep in thought. "Cor, that's a stroke of luck then, yeah? Been meaning to catch up!"

"I heard about Delphyne," Nadia said softly. "Was that you?"

Crikey beamed. "Course it was me! Delphy is a really nice girl, way less snobby than I thought she'd be, but I couldn't just let her win." She sat down across from Nadia. "Now Qarinah, that one took some real doing! Ran myself ragged yesterday keeping her from running into any of the gobbos."

"Then we're down to six," the raven said grimly.

Crikey waved a hand dismissively. "Sure, sure, but you don't have to worry about most of them. The two foxes will take care of themselves, and the 'catgirl' won't give us any trouble, promise."

"And the phoenix?"

"Oh, don't worry about her yet. I'll deal with the little fire bird in round five. You planning to stick it out that long, make it look more believable, or just drop out round four?"

Nadia swallowed hard, and slowly lifted her head to meet the other woman's eyes. "Actually, I..." 

Crikey reached across the table and slapped her. The mask absorbed some of the blow, but it still made her head rock to the side. "Why are you here, Nadia?" she asked cheerfully.

Nadia looked around, but they were still alone. "To... to help you win, Mistress," she said quietly.

"That's right!" Crikey said, her tone and expression as bright and ever, and slapped her a second time. "And now that we're down to the last two days, it's time to get serious. No more screwing around, pretending you're a real contestant. You're even lower than the rest of those pathetic sluts scrambling around out there, remember? You're just a stupid, lazy, fucktoy that's here to make me look good. Say it."

"I'm just a stupid-" Crikey slapped her a third time - "lazy" - a fourth - "fucktoy that's" - a fifth - "here to make you look good." Nadia's face felt puffy by now, and she could feel a little blood trickling down her chin.

Crikey shook her hand out. "Dang, that kinda stings. Much easier with a good old riding crop or whip. But we gotta make do, right? Who knows what a brainless idiot like you would get up if you didn't have me around to set you straight."

"Yes Mistress," Nadia said, and bowed her head. "Thank you for reminding me."

The koala woman's hand extended again and the raven flinched, but it only playfully tousled her hair. "Aww, don't mention it," Tanya said happily. "What are sisters for?"

  
**********

  
Seo-yun's spirits sank when the elevator doors closed, killing any chance of Qarinah returning. Emmeck's announcement of Delphyne's elimination had already hit her hard. Both women had been so kind to her, even when they'd had no obligation to be. To have them both suddenly gone left a hole in her heart.

Crikey and Betty prepared dinner again, but the koala was the only one who seemed to be in a good mood. Betty seemed even more affected by the loss of Qarinah than Seo-yun, Vorona and Samantha were still keeping to themselves, and Snowflake... was Snowflake.

The nogitsune pushed Seo-yun's plate of food away as soon as it was set down. "I don't recall giving you permission to eat," she said smugly.

"We made that food for everyone, meow," Betty said quietly. "Ginger has as much right to it as anyone else, meow."

Snowflake gave the girl a wicked smile. "I didn't say she can't eat," she informed her. "Only that she hasn't earned my permission yet. How about one bite per orgasm? Doesn't that sound generous, freak?"

Seo-yun was still exhausted, and starving. Working together with Morris hadn't done anything to alleviate either condition. If anything, the expenditure of energy had drained her already dwindling reserve of stamina. She needed food if she was going to keep going, and she wanted to stay in the game now more than ever. This opportunity to meet Samantha had been an incredible stroke of luck, and she knew she would never get a chance like this again.

She briefly wondered if she might be stronger than the nogitsune when she and Morris worked together, but dismissed the idea. Even if it was true, and she had no reason to believe it, she didn't have the strength to do anything right now. And if she stood against the woman, she'd be putting everyone else's lives at risk. So Seo-yun nodded her head. "That sounds very fair, Mistress."

"See?" Snowflake asked Betty. "No problems here. If you quit your whining, maybe I'll let you have a turn with her after I'm done. Now that those two self righteous moralizing hypocrites are gone, we can finally enjoy ourselves a little. So get licking, freak. Don't want your dinner to get cold."

Seo-yun got out of her chair and moved to crawl under the table, but paused when Samantha called out from the sleeping quarters. "Knock it off and let the fox eat."

Snowflake rested a foot on Seo-yun's head, gripping her hair with her toes, and tugged her closer. "Stay out of this," she called back. "You had the right idea this morning: the freak's made her choice. She's chosen to be my personal subby carpet muncher."

Samantha appeared in the doorway. Time had made her bruises even more prominent, and she looked like a wreck, but she still radiated strength as she stalked towards them. "Everyone just shut up and eat their fucking food."

"Oh yeah?" Snowflake asked, rolling her foot around on Seo-yun's head. "Or what?"

The phoenix ran her hands through her hair. It was a casual motion, but her hands came away covered in fire. "Or you and I have a problem."

"Please don't," Seo-yun begged. Tough or not, the woman wouldn't stand a chance.

Snowflake sighed, and pushed her chair away from the table to stand. "Do you know the worst part of this stupid game? It's having to hear all about how wonderful and amazing and perfect Ember is." She sneered at the phoenix. "You might be the big fish of this pathetic little pond, but don't let that trick you into thinking that you're anything but a-"

Samantha buried a fist in Snowflake's stomach, and followed it immediately with a punch to the face that made the nogitsune's head rock. She stumbled backwards and the phoenix closed in to match her, still dishing out blow after blow, hammering her ribs, head, and stomach.

Snowflake growled, and then screamed as Samantha's left hand closed around what looked like empty air. "You really thought I didn't notice your tails?" spat Ember. Fire began to run down the invisible limb while the phoenix's right hand continued pummeling her, using her grip on the tail to prevent escape. "Were you really that stupid, fox?"

The entire fight took less than a minute, and left Snowflake lying on the ground and the scent of scorched fur strong in the air. "Now leave Yip Yip the hell alone. There's enough bullshit around here without you joining in."

Seo-yun was trembling, expecting Snowflake to react violently, but the woman just spat out some blood and staggered back to her feet. "Whatever," she grumbled. "She's a lousy cunt licker anyway." She shot Seo-yun a dirty look, then grabbed her own dinner and stalked into one of the bathrooms, locking the door behind her.

"Well, can't say I'm sad to see the backside of that one," Crikey said. The woman had been casually polishing off her own plate the entire time. "Guess she was all bark and no bite, eh?"

Seo-yun was still shaking from adrenaline as she ate her dinner. Samantha didn't seem interested in talking to anyone, but for the first time, she sat at the table and ate with them. "Thank you," the fox told her.

"I didn't do it for you," Samantha said stubbornly, refusing to meet Seo-yun's eyes. "It was just noisy."

"Oh no, meow," Betty said softly. She was standing by the table, staring at the television in the other room.

Seo-yun twisted to look at the screen. "-in a lifetime opportunity," Emmeck was saying. "The Paradisium Game is always full of surprises, and they don't stop just because our contestants are taking a break! Round three came with a special secret that no one but myself and Mr Karakostas knew about: the chance to have one of these girls for yourselves!"

A still picture of two women's faces appeared on screen, one with dusky skin and black hair, the other with a lighter complexion and emerald green hair. It took Seo-yun a moment to realize that she was seeing Qarinah and Delphyne without their masks for the first time. Both were lovely, but while Qarinah just looked mildly annoyed, Delphyne's expression was full of anguish. "That's right," Emmeck said in a voice-over, "in a few minutes both of these lovely ladies who were eliminated today are going to be the stars of a special auction! Who will they end up with? It might just be you!"

"But... but they can't do that to Qarinah, right?" Seo-yun asked uncertainly. "She's not a slave, so they can't sell her to someone, right...?"

Samantha gave her a hard look. "What do you think?"


	11. The Auction

A large crowd had gathered in the reception hall, where a large square had been cordoned off for the auction. Delphyne and Camiel were both in the center, bound to stone pillars, and all around the cordons people stared hungrily at the display. Both women had developed a following during the competition, and it seemed there were many people eager to own one of them.

"What is the meaning of this?!" demanded Muhtadi. "My wife is not a slave to be sold off! And neither is your daughter!" He and the other players had been given what the dragon had called "a place of honor", a sectioned off area next to the auction square. Everyone from last night's dinner party was there, including the absent Mr Stiles, who'd turned out to be a small, nervous looking man with spectacles.

"I'm afraid it's out of my hands," said Karakostas smoothly, his voice dripping with sympathy. "Rules are rules, after all, and a dragon's word is his bond. We have already promised everyone the opportunity to purchase your Qarinah. I cannot go back on that just because of her unique status."

"So you will allow your own daughter to be auctioned off?!"

Karakostas gave a nonchalant shrug. "If that is how the auction plays out, then I have no choice."

Muhtadi stared hopelessly at the man's back as he casually strolled away to check on the preparations, seeming completely unperturbed at what was about to transpire. He turned to the Wilmingshires standing nearby. "Please, can you help me?" he pleaded. They had seemed in shock at the idea of a free women participating in the Paradisum Game. Perhaps they would be willing to listen. "My Camiel - Qarinah - does not deserve this!"

"Um, yes," George said, sounding distracted. He and his wife were both staring up at the screens playing highlights of the day's competition. They seemed spellbound by some kind of fight that had occurred between Ember and Ginger. "We will... of course we will lend our assistance, won't we dear? Dear?"

Jessica tore herself away from the screen with a visible effort. "Y-yes, of course. We would feel just awful if we stood around and did nothing." She looked back at the fight. "That... that can't really be our Ginger, right? It, it can't possibly..."

"She was very impressive," Muhtadi told them, feeling awash in relief. "I cannot thank you enough." He wasn't a poor man - by most modern standards he was actually fairly wealthy - but within the Paradisium he was well aware that he was practically a beggar. The Wilmingshires though... he'd heard enough to know that they were among the richest of the rich. If they were truly willing to purchase Camiel's freedom, he would sell them his soul without hesitation.

George waved his hand. "Think nothing of it, man! We players need to watch out for each other, yes?" He smiled at Muhtadi. "Were you planning to try something new this time?"

"Something... new...?" Muhtadi asked, confused.

"Don't put it that way, George," Jessica scolded. "You're making it sound like there's something wrong with the poor man if he wants to stick with the same kind." She patted Muhtadi's arm. "There's nothing wrong with choosing another succubus if you want. We're not here to judge."

"Erm, quite right," George said, sounding a little embarrassed. "My apologies if I came off as judgmental. It's not the sort of thing we get up to ourselves, but we all have our own tastes, and no one should be ashamed about knowing what they like."

"I am afraid I still don't understand," Muhtadi said. He actually had a good idea of what they meant by now, but he was fervently hoping that he was wrong.

He wasn't. "I'm saying we'll get you a new wife," George told him proudly. "And don't worry about the money; I insist! Whatever woman you fancy, as long as she's for sale we'll be more than happy to buy her for you."

"Why don't we go take a stroll around the Paradisium after the auction is over?" Jessica suggested. "See if we can find you the right someone!"

"I... I don't want someone else," said Muhtadi. "I thought you understood: Qarinah is not my slave. She is a free woman, and my wife!"

"Yes, and I'm certain she made a fine one," George agreed. "But don't underestimate the wares here, my friend! There's more for sale than just sex appeal. We'll find you a nice girl who can cook and clean and take care of all those other wifely duties, even better than your old one could. And of course, if you'd like to free her, you go right ahead! Like we said, that sort of thing's not our cup of tea, but you can do whatever you like with her."

The truly horrific thing was that he could tell they meant it. There was no cruelty in their tone or body language. They really didn't see why their proposal didn't solve his problem. "Please," he tried a final time. "Please help me purchase Qarinah. I just want my wife back."

"Ohhhh," said George, and then frowned. "Really? I mean, that wouldn't be right, now would it? You lost her fair and square, after all. There's no need for sour grapes. It just seems, I don't know, quite unsporting, don't you agree, dear?" Jessica nodded beside him. "And besides, after the dog and the tentacles and all that, you don't really want **her** , do you? No no, that won't do at all. We'll get you a fresh new girl, and you'll soon forget all about that other one, I promise."  
  


This was useless, and they were running out of time. "What if it was your wife?" he asked George desperately. "If it was your Jessica who was up there right now, about to be sold off to someone else as a sex slave, taken away from you forever and mistreated, what would you do?"

Both of them reacted to the question with amusement. "Oh, but that would be ridiculous," Jessica said with a giggle. "That's not the sort of thing that happens to good people!"

"Now now, dear," said George, his own tone light and jovial, "let's not give Mr Basara the wrong impression. You seem to be a fine young man to me, very articulate, and I do so hope our friendship can continue after we all return home. But your wife? Like my sweetheart says, she wouldn't be up there in the first place if it wasn't meant to be. That's just how the world works. Everything happens for a reason, my friend, and we all get what we deserve. That's why people like us are on top, and why people like..." He gestured at some of the slaves. "Why people like them get themselves into such situations. It's all for the best, really. Everyone is exactly where we belong."

They were mad, the both of them. Stark raving mad. Muhtadi turned away from them, shaking his head. He couldn't deal with this right now. The auction was about to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen," announced Vin Emmeck as he stepped in the square and stood next to the two women, "it's time... for a **very** special event." The screens turned off and the lights in the hall darkened, until there remained only a bright spotlight shining on the man. "For the last three days, these two lovely women have dazzled us with their performances. And now, a once in a lifetime opportunity to make them yours! We'll begin with the amazing Delphyne." A second spotlight highlighted the green haired woman. With her arms bound above her head, her entire body was on full display. A leather collar encircled her neck, the leash trailing down between her breasts. "Men and women alike have been captivated by this winged beauty! In the first round she dazzled us all with her grace in the air. In the second she astounded us with a fearsome display of power. And in the third she excited us with her submission!"

He began fondling her breasts, making the dragon squirm. "Oh, ladies and gentlemen, if you could only feel these soft, wondrous globes for yourself!" One of the screens behind him lit up to show a close up of her chest being groped and squeezed. "Anyone could happily play with these for hours! And the taste..." he leaned in and bit down hard on her right breast, making Delphyne yelp and struggle harder. A second later he straightened up, leaving a red bite mark behind. "Magnificent!"

Emmeck stepped behind the pillar and brought one hand around to stroke her flat stomach in small circles. "None of us here are strangers to beautiful women, but folks, Delphyne stands out as the cream of the crop even within the Paradisium. With her luscious emerald hair, her magnificent dragon wings, and her tantalizing figure, you won't just be purchasing a slave. This girl is a work of art!" His hand slid lower to cup her pubic mound, and then he pushed two fingers into her. The screen zoomed in on her pussy as his fingers smoothly pumped in and out of it. "As we all know, true beauty is on the inside, and I can assure you, ladies and gentlemen, that these are some beautiful insides!" He pulled his hand out of her and stuck his wet fingers in her mouth, forcing her to taste her juices.

The announcer dried his fingers off in her hair and stepped away. The lights turned back on. "Whoever the lucky man or woman is that gets to bring this girl home, I won't keep them waiting! We will begin the bidding at one dollar! That's right, folks, you didn't mishear me: one single dollar to own one of the finest pieces of flesh we've ever had the privilege to sell you. Do I hear one dollar?" Almost everyone in the hall raised their hand eagerly, but Emmeck only had eyes for one of them. "Mr Karakostas, our own esteemed host and oldest green dragon in the world, has tossed his hat in the ring! Who will be the first to challenge him for this prize?" A few hands went down, but most stayed up. "Who will win the honor of snatching Delphyne, his one and only flesh and blood daughter, right out from under him?" The remaining hands all disappeared very, very quickly.

Vin Emmeck turned in a slow circle, eying the crowd. "Well? Is there no one in this entire hall who values this green hair beauty as worth more than one dollar? No? Going once... going twice... sold! The lovely Delphyne has been sold to back to her father for a single dollar!"

Karakostas entered the square, fishing out a handful of loose coins from his pocket. He dumped it all into Emmeck's outstretched hand. "Keep the change," he said with a smile. Emmeck nodded, stuffing the money into his own pocket, then untied his daughter and handed the man the leash. Delphyne made no move at first, but when her father tugged the leash she stumbled forward obediently. Without a word, Karakostas turned and left, Delphyne trailing behind him.

"One down, one to go!" said Emmeck. The lights went out again to bathe him in the spotlight. "Qarinah. Astounding, incredible Qarinah!" A spotlight appeared on her. "Mankind has told legends about succubi for millennia, across every known culture," he informed the crowd. "And this week, we saw exactly why! This gorgeous, dark haired, green eyed succubus redefines the word 'insatiable'! We have all borne witness to the passion and love she has for her partners, no matter their appearance or species. If she can behave that way even around an ugly giant dog or a slimy tentacle monster, just imagine what she'll be like in **your** bed!"

Muhtadi seethed as he watched the man continue to extol the wonders of owning his wife as a sex slave, all the while fondling and prodding her without permission. He was not a jealous man, and Camiel's polyamory had never bothered him; he knew how much she loved him, so why should he begrudge her pleasure with others? It didn't diminish the bond they had in the slightest, and it brought his wife such joy. But even though the sight of Camiel with another man was a familiar one, this was the first time she'd ever been an unwilling partner, and it made his blood boil.

He itched to rush out there and carry her away, but even if she wasn't tied down, there were dozens of security guards scattered through the hall. They'd be lucky to make it five steps before someone brought them down, and then Camiel would only be in bigger trouble. So he restrained himself, standing still and quiet while a storm raged in his head. The spectacle continued for far too long, but finally Emmeck said the words Muhtadi had been waiting for. "Do I hear one dollar?" He shot his hand up.

There were more than a few people with interest in Camiel, and the price quickly rose into the hundreds of thousands. Muthadi had done some quick math before the auction, and estimated that if he liquidated everything he owned and spent all his life savings, he could possibly scrape together as much as two million dollars. Most of the slaves in the Paradisium went for five or six figures, so two million should be well above what those with a casual interest in his wife were willing to pay. Anyone with a serious interest, though, might be willing and able to put down far more.

"Mr. Patterson with nine hundred and fifty thousand!" cried Vin Emmeck eventually. "Do I hear one million?" Muhtadi quickly raised his hand, and caught Patterson scowling at him. Things were far from guaranteed yet, but it was looking like this might just be possible. There were only two other parties bidding for Qarinah, and both were growing increasingly reluctant as the price rose. "One million from Mr Basara!" said Emmeck. "Do I hear 1.1?"

Patterson dropped out after 1.5, but the third buyer, an elderly German lady named Weber, held on stubbornly, bidding at 1.7 and 1.9. "We have a bid for two million dollars from Mr Basara!" said Emmeck. "Do I hear 2.1?" Time seemed to slow down for Muhtadi as he watched Weber pause and consider. Please, he prayed silently. Please. If there was ever a time that Camiel needed help, it's now. Please... Weber frowned and shook her head, and Muhtadi's breath caught.

"We may have the reached the end here, folks," Emmeck said. "Qarinah the succubus, going to Mr Muhtadi Basara for two million dollars. Going once... going twice..."

Ilya Petrov, who had been watching the auction with a dour expression the whole time, stirred and raised his hand. "Five million," he called out, sounding bored. When he saw Muhtadi staring at him, he returned the look with an ugly grin, his missing teeth standing out prominently, and moved to stand next to him. "I am going to do things to your wife that even **she** has never heard of," he said, softly enough that only Muhtadi could hear. "And I can promise you, cuckold, that no matter how much of a filthy painslut your inhuman whore of a wife turns out to be, I will see to it that she doesn't derive an ounce of pleasure from a single moment of her captivity."

"And a stunning five million dollar upset from Mr Petrov!" shouted Emmeck. "Someone really likes his succubi! Can we get six million?"

Muhtadi thought furiously. If he took out loans and called in favors, he might, **might** , be able to cover that much. They would be in debt for the rest of his life, but a life without Camiel wasn't one worth living. He raised a hand, praying once more.

"Six million from-" Emmeck began.

"Twenty million," Petrov interrupted loudly, his hand raised again. "My company budgets over three hundred million dollars annually on inhuman species research," he told Muhtadi in a quiet, vicious tone. "Your wife's eventual vivisection alone will be worth the price."

"Mr Ilya Petrov with twenty million!" cried Emmeck. "I don't think we're going to beat that one anytime soon. Going once..."

"Please!" Muhtadi begged, turning to the Wilmingshires. "Please purchase her! I'll do anything!"

"Going twice..."  
  


"Don't be silly, old boy," George said, chuckling. "Look how much Mr Petrov wants her! It would be as shame to spoil the man's fun." His wife nodded.

"Sold to Mr Ilya Petrov!" Emmeck announced.

The crowd began to disperse now that the spectacle was over. Muhtadi collapsed to his knees. He'd failed. He'd failed and that monster now owned his wife. "I'm not completely heartless," said Petrov, who still stood next to him. "I will let you visit your wife someday, after she's been broken to the point where she doesn't even remember you. You can witness how much better behaved she is, and even squirt some cum in her holes if you want. Assuming that there's any friction left in them." His warm spittle hit the top of Muhtadi's head, and then he walked away.

"I will see you again, my love!" he heard Camiel shout. "No matter how long it may take, we will-" She was cut off by Petrov slapping her.

"Silence, bitch," he snarled, and Muhtadi looked up to see the man forcing a ball gag into her mouth. "And get moving! You have spent far too long thinking yourself better than the rest of us. We are going to start by correcting that mistake." Petrov dragged his wife away, holding onto her by a fistful of hair.

"I will save you, Camiel!" Muhtadi shouted back. "I swear it by the heavens!"  
  
Petrov looked back at him and sneered. "Don't waste your time. Heaven and hell alike will want nothing to with this slut when I am finished with her."

Muhtadi stayed there on his knees, watching hopelessly as his wife disappeared.

**********

Ilya made frequent visits to the Paradisium in person to examine new subjects before buying them, and had taken the liberty of purchasing a permanent place of residence within it, stocked with all the comforts of home. The basement in particular saw a great deal of use whenever he was in town, especially if he was dragging along Nadia.

Qarinah hung from the ceiling just like that worthless cunt had last week, suspended by barbed wire wrapped around her arms. The creature's skin was made of far tougher stuff than his daughter's, but blood trickled down from the few barbs that had managed to pierce the skin, turning her front and back bloody. Nadia had made it clear just how agonizing it was to have all her weight tugging on those embedded barbs, but his new prize had kept relatively quiet so far. That was good; bitches were far more entertaining when they weren't already broken.

She was still wearing the ballgag, and its bright red contrasted well with her dusky complexion. She was a beautiful creature, he'd give her that much. Her skin was clear and smooth, her features flawless, and her long, jet black hair was like silk. "You might make a halfway decent cum dump if you can learn your place," he told her as he circled her, admiring her form. "But even if you prove too stupid to be trained, I still have a myriad of uses in mind for you."

The creature showed little reaction to his words. She'd expressed no fear and made no sounds of pain yet, seemingly untroubled by her bloody bondage. On the contrary, she projected a sense of strength and quiet dignity, as though she was exactly where she needed to be. This told Ilya two things. First, that she was a resilient animal. She didn't simply possess a body that was harder to injure, she had mental fortitude and a high tolerance for pain. Second, that she was a very foolish animal. Only someone with no understanding of her position would be unafraid in these circumstances.

Petrov pulled the ballgag out of her mouth and let it dangle at her neck. "Do you know who I am?" he asked her.

"A man who has grasped hold of the tiger's tail," Qarinah said calmly. "And doesn't yet realize the danger he's brought upon himself by doing so."

Ilya snorted. "Naked and trussed up for the slaughter, and you think you can cow me with threats?"

She held his gaze. "No threats. Just a warning, delivered in good faith, and an offer to assist. I try to be the forgiving sort, Ilya Petrov. I've seen the dregs of humanity, and I know that even the worst of us are capable of redemption. No matter how far you think you've gone, I promise you: it's not too late to save yourself."

"Save **myself**?" he asked amused. From the wall, he selected a cat of nine tails, each strand of which had shards of metal sticking out at irregular intervals and angles. It was an instrument intended for punishing Nadia, not just disciplining her. Each stroke would rip bits of flesh from her body, and it never took more than three to reduce her to a sobbing wretch. It wouldn't be nearly as effective on his new slave, but it should get through even her thick hide. "You have stumbled upon the right idea, but you think far too small. I am not here to save myself. I am here to be **humanity's** savior."

"And just what do you think you're saving your people from?" she asked.

"From creatures like you," he told her. "Any idiot can see the advantages monsters have over humans. You are stronger, faster, live longer, possess abilities that defy physics. Mankind only remains on top because of our numbers, and those won't protect us forever. If we let you have your way, you subhumans will overrun us eventually, and we will lose our rightful place in the world. But I will not let that happen."

"Creatures like me?" she repeated. "Ilya, you don't even know what sort of creature I really am, let alone my intentions. Would you like to see what 'creature' you purchased?"

A pair of white wings burst from her back, scattering minute droplets of blood in the air. They were several feet long, and each feather shone with an inner light, their gentle glow illuminating and warming the entire basement. "I am called Camiel," the angel intoned, "and I have spent centuries acting as a shepherd and protector of humanity. I am not your enemy, Ilya Petrov, nor an enemy of mankind."

Ilya sneered, and brought the whip down across her stomach. He was pleased to see it leave bloody lines scrawled over her smooth skin, and even more pleased to see her flinch. "This is the weakness of you subhumans," he told her. "Because we lack your advantages, you underestimate us, pretend we are just foolish children that can be manipulated and deceived." He struck her again, this time on her chest, making the lush curves there jiggle and bleed and drawing a small sound of pain from her lips. "I've known your identity for some time now, angel. Or rather, fallen angel." His sneer grew as he lashed her again. "Such a slut that even Heaven threw you out." To his amusement, that statement seemed to hurt her as much as the whip had.

Her calmness had vanished. There was surprise on her face now, and indignation, and just a bit of fear. He would nurture that last one, until it was the only expression she ever wore. "I **chose** to leave," she said, "and a man who owns multiple slaves and has a sex dungeon in his basement should think twice before calling someone else a slut. My sexual preferences are none of your business."

"Your sexual preferences are meaningless now," Ilya said. "Everything in your head and everything in your past is meaningless. What matters now is that you are my property, and you will be put to use. You will help pay for the sins of all your kind."

Camiel smiled with gentle amusement, her aura of calm restored. "Sin. So many people like to bandy that word around. Would you like to know a secret about the world, Ilya? The kind of deep, dark secret upon which empires have risen and fallen? There's no such thing as sin or evil. The opposite of goodness is ignorance. Sometimes willful, sometimes blind. We commit what you would call sins when we let ourselves forget that other people deserve love and respect. When we forget to love and respect ourselves. When we ignore the things we know are true because they conflict with the things we want to be true, and the things we fear to be true."

There was something so soothing about her words. She spoke to Ilya as if they were not captive and captor, or even total strangers, but rather like two old friends engaging in casual debate. For a second, he found himself wavering, wondering if he really wanted to do as he'd planned... and then he swore and spat on her face. "Get out of my head," he snarled. "Parlor tricks like that may help you seduce animals, but it will take more than that to control me, dogfucker."

The angel's smile deepened, taking no notice of the spittle on her cheek. "There is no trick to this, Ilya. No magic powers. You're just talking to someone who neither hates nor fears you, and believes that even someone whose hands are as dirty as yours can become worth of peace and happiness." She added dryly, "I suspect I'm a rarity, to be sure. And those beasts below us, who you seem so eager to shame me for, are perfect examples of what I'm trying to communicate. I know that they seem violent and malevolent at first glance, but they possess no true evil in their souls. They've simply been starved of affection, and taught that the only way to obtain it is to take it by force." Her green eyes focused on him, warm and piercing. "What half-truths were you fed, Ilya, to make you believe that this was the right path to walk down? What doors in your heart have you left closed only because their existence has been hidden from you?"

"I'm not going to waste any more time listening to this garbage," he snapped, bursting with irritation over her twisting lies. She was just trying to confuse him. "I don't need to convince you how foolish and wrong you are when I can just show you." He set down the whip for now, in favor of something sharper, and approached his captive.

Her eyes flickered down at his cock briefly. "You've got nothing to be ashamed of," she told him, "but if you think a bit of pain and sex will break me to your will, you are sadly mistaken." She looked down again and licked her lips. "Honestly, if you'd just asked, I wouldn't have minded spending some time down here with you. Muhtadi is a wonderful man and I love him dearly, but he lacks the right viciousness when it comes to pain play. I haven't had a good partner for this sort of fun in decades."

"As I said, you underestimate us. I did not purchase you for your fuckholes, angel. I have other uses in mind for you." He circled behind her. "I founded Paragon with a simple goal in mind: to improve humanity. To elevate us above the physical superiorities possessed by subhuman filth. You creatures have so many physical advantages over us, yes, but there is one thing none of you ever realize." He eyed her back, deciding the best spot to begin. "Whatever you have, we can take for ourselves."

Camiel screamed as the scalpel cut into her. It was sharp enough to pierce even the toughest of monsters, and she was no exception. "Stop!" she cried out. The sudden terror in her tone was quite satisfying. "You, you can't!"

"Can't remove your wings?" Ilya asked as he got to work. "It is a rather simple procedure actually, once you know what to do. The key is to remove not only the external wings themselves, but the corresponding muscles within the back."

"You don't have to do this!" she insisted. "I will do what you want! Whatever you want!"

Ilya scoffed. "Perhaps you are too stupid to even be a cum dump after all. These wings are the reason I purchased you, slut." That, and to teach her husband a lesson in respect. "I have important plans for them."

The angel made a choked sound that expressed both terror and outrage at the idea. "Plans?! This is senseless mutilation!"

"Yes, the alkonost thought the same thing," he told her. "Insisted that I was insane for thinking I could cut off her wings and graft them onto my daughter. But now she is a wingless fucktoy somewhere while Nadia gets to fly like no other human ever has. Not that the cunt ever expresses proper gratitude for it." It only took a few minutes to get the job done, and he had a medical cooler already prepared. Ilya put the detached wings in as gently as possible. The last thing he wanted was to damage them before they went to their new owner.

Camiel was sobbing by the time he was finished, all of her previous composure gone. There were few things more arousing than a beautiful woman crying, and Ilya was painfully hard. But she wasn't ready yet. The angel shrieked as the whip dug into her skin again, leaving fresh bloody scrawls on her back. Now that he didn't have to worry about hurting her wings, he could swing the whip as hard as he liked. He lashed her repeatedly, clawing up everywhere but her face until her body was covered in red cobwebs.

"What happens next depends on you," he told her, not stopping with the whip. "If you can convince me you'll be a good fucktoy, I'll allow you to live as one. But you'll have to be very convincing, slut, because you still have a lot of useful parts to go around. If nothing else, hearts and eyes are always good targets for transplanting. I've never gotten to experiment with an angel before, so I don't know what the effects will be. From a scientific standpoint, the smartest option is to cut out every last organ and investigate the results of each on a different subject. If you're still alive after that, your brain will go into a jar like the other immortals."  
  
"Please," she begged, "I've done nothing to you!"

  
"On the contrary, slut, your very existence is an affront. Lording it above humanity, thinking yourself our betters... the only rightful place monsters have in this world is on their knees in front of their masters." Ilya tossed the whip to the ground, unable to hold off any longer. He'd paid special attention to the wingless angel's shapely ass, and her dark skin was covered with hundreds of lines upon lines upon lines by now. She gasped when he grabbed those two cheeks and forced them apart, then squealed as he drove his hard cock into her asshole. He sank in easily, her sphincter not offering the slightest resistance as he buried himself in her, his balls slapping her pussy. That didn't mean she was loose though. Quite the opposite: he'd never felt a tighter hole. It had a solid grip while being easy and painless to move around in, even without any lubrication. Her asshole was as inhuman as the rest of her, seemingly designed to be a perfect fuckhole.

There had been pain in her squeal, but pleasure as well, and that was unacceptable. Ilya refused to allow the creature to find any joy in what he was doing to her. He had experience with pain sluts though. Camiel shrieked again, and this time there was no enjoyment to it. "Not for you, slut," he taunted as he twisted the pliers he was gripping her clit with. Even the most degenerate masochist had her limits, and from the way she thrashed and shook, he had just taken her far beyond hers. "Pleasure for others, but never for you. From now on, if I get a hint of arousal from you, we will find out how much torture it takes to make it stop. If you end up as a fucktoy instead of a science experiment, I will train you to loathe sex."

"Noooooo!" she wailed, sounding even more distressed about that than she had about losing her wings.

She was a horny little animal, that was clear. Ilya found himself using the pliers on her nonstop to prevent her from enjoying what was going on, making her screech and scream as he pounded her asshole. "Here is your first test, angel," he told her as he felt his orgasm draw near. "If your cunt is damp after I cum, I will shove a hot poker up here to replace my cock." He let go of the pliers, leaving them clamped around her bud. It swung back and forth as he slammed in and out of her, its weight causing her no end of distress. Ilya came in the wingless angel's guts, his fingers digging into her wounds to draw out fresh screams as his jizz spurted out. Her rectum rippled around him, skillfully drawing out every last drop even as its owner howled in agony. Yes, she might just make a good cum dump indeed.

Without pulling out of her, Ilya reached around to give the pliers a sharp tug, just to make her flinch and gasp. Then he investigated her cunt, and happily confirmed that she wasn't too big of a slut after all. "Nice and dry," he declared. Despite that, it was as strangely welcoming as her asshole had been, taking his fingers with no trouble and sucking on them eagerly. Though the feel of her soft folds pulsing around his digits make his cock throb in anticipation, imagining how it would feel in that warm pocket, it would be some time before he took her in that hole. Until she'd been through a little more training, he wasn't going to take the risk of her enjoying it.

Not that he had to leave her cunt alone completely, of course. Camiel cried out as he balled his right hand into a fist and penetrated her with it, making it all the way to her cervix without any trouble. His left hand took hold of the pliers, and for a long time, Petrov lost himself in the fun: pummeling her insides with one hand, twisting and tugging her clit with the other, and all the while her hot guts were a vise around his cock. He never even had to move his hips to finish, not with the way the pain made her wriggle and clench. He came twice more in her ass, and was on his way to a third, when he finally gave his new toy some relief by pulling his fist from her insides and releasing her clitoris from the jaws of the plier.

Ilya reluctantly left her asshole and put on some gloves so that he could safely unwind the barbed wire from her arms. She collapsed to the floor once she was freed, looking exhausted beyond measure. She laid on her side, her breathing came in out in shallow pants and his cum bubbling out of her stretched ass, making no move to flee or fight. Only the movements of her bloodshot green eyes told him that she was still conscious. Petrov kicked her in the side to get her attention. "I do not own any lazy fucktoys, slut. You are not yet finished servicing my dick."

The wingless angel trembled as she forced herself up onto her knees, her weariness turning the simple movement into a herculean task. When she made it, she was greeted by his wet cock slapping the side of her face. She needed no further command to know what to do; her mouth opened obediently, if reluctantly, and she swallowed up his cock, taking him deep into her throat. Her tongue went to work immediately, lapping him clean with delicate, teasing motions that threatened to make him finish before he'd even started. There was no way he could reach her clit with the pliers in this position, so he settled for kicking her in the cunt instead, each blow making her twitch and gurgle around his cock. "Eventually, bitch," he promised, "you will associate this hole of yours with nothing but pain. When you next see your husband again - and I will most definitely arrange that to happen - you will cry and beg him not to take you that way." Camiel moaned around his cock, but her tongue didn't pause.

It was only a couple minutes before the slut was choking down a fresh load of semen, and followed it down with a mouthful of piss. The wingless angel was limp and unresisting as Ilya pushed her down onto her back and wound more barbed wire around her legs, forcing them into a wide split that left her crotch completely exposed. "You've managed to drain my balls like a proper cum dump," he told her. It was a genuinely impressive feat in its own way; after thorough experimentation on satyrs and other subhuman creatures renowned for their sexual virility, he'd developed a drug for his personal use that put Viagra to shame. "And now, until I'm willing to fuck you again, it's time for more torture." He took a riding crop with a sandpaper like texture and started slapping it against her spread slit, each hit making her entire body convulse and ripping a new scream from her lungs. Her insides grew red and sore, every stroke drawing a greater reaction than the last as he taught her to hate her own womanhood.

Ilya made it through several more rape and torture sessions before his alarm beeped to tell him it was midnight. "Luckily for you, slut," he told the creature, "I need to get up early tomorrow morning for the game." Unlike Tanya, he couldn't trust Nadia to behave unsupervised. There was no telling what the girl might do if she thought she could get away with it.

Camiel's only response to her reprieve was a tiny grunt from where she laid once more sprawled on the floor. Her body was littered with injuries, and smeared in blood and semen from head to toe. Even her face had not been spared for long, and was now distorted by cuts and burns and bruises, one cheek dented where he'd struck her with a steel bat. He'd put the slut through her paces, testing a good chunk of the instruments here to determine what did and didn't work. As he'd expected, her skin was tough enough to absorb almost all blunt trauma, and nearly immune to hot and cold. He'd made an important discovery along the way, though: her resistance was literally skin deep. Go any deeper and she was as fragile as any other woman. The wingless angel hadn't batted an eye when he'd touched the cattle prod to her skin, even when he'd pressed it against her nipples, but when he'd slid it into her cunt and turned it on, she'd shrieked so hard that she burst a blood vessel in her eye, painting it scarlet. She was going to be no trouble to train.

The slut let out an adorable whimper when she saw he'd gotten the barbed wire out again. "We will continue this tomorrow tonight," he said as he secured her back in her original position, hanging from the ceiling by her arms. "Until then, stay here and reflect on your foolishness, angel. After millennia spent looking down on on humanity, you're finally going to realize your true place in the universe. And even if you outlive me for millennia more, I will see to it that you never forget the things I have to teach you."

Though the position was the same, Camiel's appearance was almost completely different from how she'd been a few hours ago. There was no more sense of strength to her, no more otherworldly beauty. She was just a weak, mutilated, defiled piece of meat awaiting her next use. But for all that, beneath all the filth and ugliness, there was still a lingering spark of that quiet dignity. "Still not... too late..." the wingless angel whispered, her bloody eye fixed on him. "Never... too late... to change..."

Ilya barked out a short laugh. "All that and you still think to lecture me? I must have been too easy on you." Camiel was too exhausted to scream when he pierced her clitoris, but the sad sound of despair she made was even sweeter, and nearly convinced him to stick around for a bit longer. But he needed his sleep, and there would be plenty of time to rape his newest project tomorrow. "In an ideal world I would use your wedding ring for this," he told her as he inserted a golden ring and gave a tug, drawing out another lovely sound. "But your husband must have it, so this will have to do for now." He attached a weight to the ring, stretching her clit and making her groan miserably.

The weight swung slightly, torturing her with every movement, and he watched Camiel force herself to hold still and limit the pain, restricting herself to small breaths. That wouldn't do at all, so Ilya selected one final instrument of torture. Camiel was **not** too exhausted to scream when he rammed the cattle prod back up her pussy, taped it in place, and turned it on. She danced and thrashed in the air, making the barbed wire dig into her arms and the weight on her clit swing wildly. "Welcome to the next eighteen hours of your life, slut. Remember this while you wait for me: it will only get worse from here."

He couldn't even tell if she'd heard him as the wingless angel flailed and shrieked, lost in her own private hell. Petrov left her to it. He had a contest to attend to.

*********

"You set that entire farce up just for me, didn't you?" Astaria accused. "Or do you expect me to believe it was a coincidence that the round I lost became host to this surprise auction?" She paced back and forth in her father's private study, furious. No longer naked, she wore a strapless green dress tailored to match her hair and wings. Like all the dresses her father had ever gifted her, it was designed to look dazzling and expensive, not to be comfortable. This one had an almost sheer fabric that clung to her skin and exposed far too much of her breasts for her liking. It wasn't clothing, it was a costume for showing her off in. She'd felt better naked.  
  
"You are as astute as ever, my daughter," said Karakostas, leaning back slightly in his chair behind the desk. "Yes, I had the preparations made weeks ago for a special auction to be held during the game at a time of my choosing. When I witnessed your mishap with the koala, I knew that time had come." He chuckled to himself. "I do hope Mr Petrov is not so foolish as to believe I would not see through his little deception with his daughters. I would tell him that such subterfuges are unnecessary if I wasn't afraid of injuring his pride."

"For what purpose?" Astaria demanded. "Did you do all that just to humiliate me, make me feel like an animal to be bought and sold? Or was I meant to run into your arms crying, thank you for saving me, and promise never to defy you again? What petty reason was important enough to ruin that poor woman's life over?!" That was what really burned about the situation. Astaria could handle being toyed with by her father; the experience was familiar, if nothing else. But his cruel prank had turned Qarinah - Camiel - into a hapless slave. She'd entered the Paradisium Game to free slaves, not create more of them.

"Don't be silly, Astaria," her father chided. "Do you truly believe that I would go to all that trouble just to impress on you some small lesson? I have already learned all too well that you have inherited my stubbornness." He rose from his seat and stepped around the desk to face her directly. "I had a far more important reason for arranging that auction."  
  
"Yes? And what was that?" Astaria challenged.

Karakostas gently stroked her hair in one hand. "Oh, this sweet naive daughter of mine. Must I spell it out for you?" His hand suddenly gripped her hair tight, and he pulled her towards him, meeting her lips with his own. Astaria yelled in surprise and tried to squirm away, but her father was much stronger, and he kept their lips locked together as his tongue greedily licked at her closed mouth, easily swatting away her attempt to knee him in the groin. He maintained the disgusting one sided kiss for more than a full minute before he finally released his hold and let her step back, her chest heaving.

She stared at him in disgust, still feeling his drool all over her lips even after wiping it away with a shaking hand. "You... you can't be serious..." she breathed, and then flinched when he slapped her hard across the face.

  
"Do you know why you were born, Astaria?" her father asked coldly. "Because I have spent centuries building something truly magnificent, and I wanted a child that could one day inherit my legacy. For a long time, I thought you were that child. I raised you, I groomed you, I taught you everything you needed to know. And what did I end up with?" His lip curled in a sneer. "A pathetic runt of a girl who wanted to throw away my life's work."

Astaria backed away in fear as he came closer, but the study wasn't very large, and her back hit the wall after only a few steps. Karakostas closed in on her, seizing her arms and pinioning them behind her. Something snapped around her wrists, trapping them in place. "But I did not get to where am I today by throwing away useful resources, my daughter," he told her, as his clawed hands began pawing at her breasts through her thin dress. "So I have found another use for your... assets. You are officially my slave now, Astaria, and will serve as such. Perhaps in time, if you prove yourself worthy, I will allow you the honor of breeding me a true heir."

  
"You are mad," she said. "I... I will **never** submi-*guh*" Karakostas buried a fist into her stomach, turning her words of defiance into a strangled squawk and knocking the wind out of her. Before she could take a breath, he punched her again.  
  


"I had that dress commissioned after I decided your new destiny," he told her as he continued pummeling her stomach. "Just because you are a slave now does not mean I will allow you to look less than your best. Despite its appearance, it is stronger than steel and should hold up no matter how much abuse you receive." Indeed, while her stomach was slowly bruising from his fists, the dress didn't have a single rip in it. "I did, however, request a few special seam lines." His claws ripped at her low cut bodice, and the fabric parted in a perfectly even line, resulting in an even lower neckline that her breasts fell out of. They jiggled as he returned to beating her stomach.

After several minutes, he seemed to grow tired of hitting her and snapped a collar around her neck. It was as fancy as the dress, a stylish silver band adorned with emeralds. "I'm going to fuck you now, Astaria," he told her. "I'm going to throw you onto that desk and I'm going to rape you bloody, and there is nothing you can do about it."

Astaria gasped for breath, and suddenly pain more severe than her father's fists blossomed through her entire body and she collapsed to her knees. It was like being burned and stabbed everywhere at once at the same time, and it took several seconds of blinding agony before she realized that it was the collar delivering an electric shock. Not only that, it was cutting off her air somehow. It wasn't any tighter, but no matter how hard she tried to breathe, nothing happened. She rolled around on the floor, choking and convulsing and terrified.

Karakostas kicked her to get her attention. "The collar is keyed to your breath, my idiot daughter. It will stop when you stop trying to breathe deeply."

It took some time for her to manage the feat. Her lungs were screaming for air, and it was pure torture to deny them, taking in light breaths that only barely gave her any peace. It took only about twenty seconds for the collar to ease off with the electricity and let her breathe, but it felt a thousand times longer. She continued taking those same pitiful, unsatisfying breaths. She could feel her dragonfire right there inside her, so close that she could almost touch it and strong enough to easily free her from this bondage, but without being able to breathe properly, it might as well have been a million miles away.

"That's it," Karakostas said, with the approval of a man who has taught his dog a new trick. "Shallow breaths only. Shallow breaths forever."

She whined at the idea. "I... I won't transform," she pleaded. "I'll swear... so don't... don't need to..."

He kicked her again. "You still don't understand the balance of power here, Astaria. I have it; you don't. There are no bargains or negotiations to be had. Only obedience and discipline." He grabbed her hair and dragged over to the desk, which he put her on face up, her legs hanging off the front. There was another ripping sound as he tore a hidden seam at the crotch to expose her pussy. Astaria's father loomed over her, his hands on her breasts to keep her pinned down with his weight while his cock probed between her legs, seeking her opening. She looked down and couldn't stop herself from screaming at the sight of his cock, the sound cut off a moment later by her collar. It was massive, covered in hard scales, and longer than his forearm. The monster dogs in the cave below would have been envious.

"Impressive, is it not?" he remarked, smiling at her terrified reaction and frantic attempts to regain control of her breath. "Why else do you think in the olden days we had to keep demanding fresh virgin sacrifices? It's a rare woman who can take this without dying." Astaria thrashed and danced in an effort to keep him out of her, but her father had never been anything but patient, and he simply waited for exhaustion to overcome adrenaline. A moment after the green haired woman's struggles slowed down, she squealed as he rammed his hips forward and penetrated her.

"Yesssss," he said triumphantly, drawing back only to slam into her again, each thrust sharp and violent. "I will admit, daughter, that I was worried when I saw you with the leviathan. I thought perhaps it would permanently stretch out your holes and make you an unsatisfactory vessel. But I need not have worried. Dragon cunt was designed to be resilient enough to accept dragon cock, after all. Yours is even tighter than your mother's, and I fucked my way through over one hundred different species before I found her." He shook his head. "Our seed is potent enough to take root in any race's womb and produce a pureblooded dragon free of their inferiorities, but so very few can survive the process."  
  
"Mother?" Astaria said, gasping for small breaths. He **hurt** , far worse than any of the leviathan's many tentacles, but what he'd said was even more important than the way his thick cock was destroying her insides. "You... you said Mother..."  
  
"I said she died during childbirth," Karakostas told her. "And she did. I saw no need to mention that she was just a pathetic slave granted the honor of breeding solely on the virtue of possessing a cunt tight enough to enjoy and strong enough not to rip in two. Just as I saw no need to let you know that the reason she died during your birth had less to do with any unseen complications, and more because she choked to death on my cock at roughly the same time she was popping you out. Her cunt was strong, but not strong enough to keep from going loose from our play, and I had no interest in keeping around a sub-par slave after she had performed her function and given me a child."

Her father's cock was hot agony inside her, but it was nothing compared to the anguish in her head. Father had never spoken much about her mother, but he'd always given the impression that it was because her death pained him so. Even after she'd seen the truth behind the Paradisium, she'd believed that must be some sliver of goodness in him if he'd been so in love with Mother. Meanwhile she had spent her whole life grappling with the guilt of being responsible for her mother's death. Lies. All lies...

"No!" Astaria shouted, and struggled harder than ever, hard enough that her breathing triggered the collar again and made her shake wildly on top of the desk. She couldn't let this happen! But Father was so much stronger than her, and her panicked movements only seemed to excite him.

  
"My only regret is that I did not do this sooner," he told her. "If I had realized that there was nothing but empty fancies in your head, I could have been enjoying you for years. All this time, this snug fuckhole has been going to waste." He began to pound her even harder, hungry and eager. "We'll have to make up for lost time!" Every time he pushed into her, it felt like she being ripped in two, and every time he pulled out was like being gutted by his claws. "Do you feel how tightly your cunt hugs me, daughter?" Karakostas asked. "How it sucks and squeezes and kisses my shaft, begging for more? This is what you were truly made for. You will never be anything more than this, a warm sheathe for my cock!"

He lifted his head back and bellowed, the sound inhuman and guttural, and Astaria squealed as his hot cum sprayed her tender insides. It took a full thirty seconds for him to finish, and when he was done his sperm filled every inch of her pussy and drooled down onto the desk. "That cunt is already more than worthy of my seed and my progeny," he said, panting slightly. "We shall see how long it takes for the rest of you to catch up."

Karakostas stepped back, grabbing her hair to pull her with him, putting her on her knees in front of the desk. He waved his thick cock in her face, still huge despite going soft. Blood and cum were smeared all over the shaft. "It is time for your first lesson in obedience, daughter. Suck."

Astaria shook her head in denial. Her pussy still felt like someone had gone at it with a lawn mower and poured alcohol over the wound. "No," she hissed, her head pounding as she forced herself to keep taking meager little breaths. "I will not submit to you."  
  
"Is that really your decision?" her father asked, his voice stern. "Do not make that choice lightly, Astaria. I do not play games with my slaves."

She shook her head again. "Won't... won't do it..."  
  
"Very well," Karakostas said calmly. "If you are not willing to obey, then I will make you meat."

The thought sent an icy bolt of terror into her. To be one of those tortured, miserable women... "no," she whispered. "You... you wouldn't..." Not to his own daughter. He had to be bluffing. Even a man as vile as him couldn't be so far gone that he would do that to his own daughter!

She screamed as he leaned down and jabbed a claw right into her forehead, the tip sinking slightly into the skin and sending blood running down her face. He slowly forced the claw up, ripping open her skin and turning the trickle of blood into a stream. He made a diagonal slash going down, another going up, and then another long slash straight down. Astaria felt like she was in a nightmare when she realized what he was doing. M. He'd just inscribed an M on her forehead.  
  
"Stop," she begged as he began to write the E, making another long downward slash next to the M. "Father, please, not that! I have changed my mind! I will do what you want!" Three small slashes completed the letter, and he immediately began scrawling the A, sweeping his claw up and over and down. "Please! I, I will suck you! I promise!" Another small slash completed the A. "Pleaaaaase!"

He drew the first line of the T across her forehead. She saw him raise his claw, preparing to bring it down and finish the job, and in a panic she lunged forward, seeking his cock with her mouth. His head was hard and sharp and foul tasting, and she sucked and lapped at it as though she'd never had a finer feast. Slobber ran down her chin and she began to gag as she forced him deeper into her mouth, smacking the back of her throat against him. She stared up at him, her eyes wide and desperate and pleading, his flat and emotionless, as she took him into her throat. Astaria couldn't breathe but she kept moving forward, not back, driving his cock deeper and deeper into her, working her lips slowly down the length of his freakishly long shaft. The taste of him didn't improve, and the jagged scales sliced at her tongue and the insides of her mouth and throat, but she was relentless.

Astaria was light headed and dizzy by the time she'd swallowed his entire cock. Her lips were stretched wide around him, her neck bulged with his mass, and his heavy balls rested on her slimy chin. She continued staring at him, silently begging him to accept her display of submission. She scanned his face, looking for any sign of mercy or hesitation, but he remained expressionless, his claw still raised and ready. "Is this your new answer?" he asked finally, and she quickly nodded.

She whimpered as his claw sunk into her forehead again. One more movement and it would be over. She would be marked as meat, and she knew enough of the Paradisium to know that the transition was only ever one way. "You are my daughter," Karakostas said. "And I do hold a fondness for your cunt. So I will offer you something I have not given anyone in over a thousand years: a second chance." Relief washed over her, but his claw was still in her flesh. "Make no mistake, there will be no third. The first act of disobedience, the first sign of reluctance, the first inkling of pride above your station, and I will finish what I started. You have only two paths to choose from, daughter: the perfect slave, or meat. What will you do?"  
  


By way of answer, she stuck her tongue out and gently lapped at his scrotum. He gave her a rare smile then, and his claw withdrew. She had no time to rejoice, though; his cock pulsed and hot liquid began to spray out. Astaria ignored every last instinct in her body and kept her mouth tight around him and her tongue massaging his balls as her father pissed down her throat. Only when the last few drops had dribbled out did she allow herself to pull back, leaving spit and throat slime over the length of his shaft.

When she was far enough back, she took a few shallow breaths and then reversed to swallow him back up. Astaria fucked her father with her throat, and soon he was as long and thick as ever. As his grotesque cock stretched her gullet and ripped at her flesh, she used the destruction to help her fuck him harder, turning her ruined throat into a fuckhole for him. After several minutes of this, she froze; his claw was back on her forehead.

"What are you?" Karakostas asked. His tone was placid and neutral, but she knew the price of a wrong answer.

The greenhaired woman pulled away from his cock slowly, making no sudden movements that might be misinterpreted. "I am a warm sheathe for your cock, Father," she told him meekly.

He said nothing, but the fact that she was still his slave was all the approval she would ever get from him now. His claw retracted and he gripped her horns in both hands. "Pay careful attention, daughter," he told her. "This is how I like my throatfucks." He pulled on her horns, slamming her face violently against his crotch.

"Guk guk guk!" Astaria gurgled as her father yanked her horns forward and back to fuck her throat in a frenzy, showing absolutely no concern for her. Her face slapped against him over and over, her features covered with drool and his balls bouncing off her chin. He drove into her throat without any regard for how much damage he might be doing with his scales, or whether she would have time to breathe. It wasn't even sadism that motivated him. As she looked into his eyes, not daring to break eye contact, she could see that he wasn't taking any particular enjoyment in her suffering. She wasn't certain if he was even aware of it. It was just a meaningless byproduct of his pleasure.

The dragon woman had heard the term "fleshlight" before, but this was her first time truly understanding what it meant to be used as one. Her father didn't care that he was hurting her, didn't care that she was his daughter, didn't care about anything at all but his own satisfaction right now. Indeed, she might as well have been an inanimate object for all the thought he was giving to her. Tears ran down her face as she realized that her answer to his question really had been correct: she **was** just a warm sheathe for his cock.

His grip on her horns disappeared, and for a moment they were both still, only a few inches of his prick still nestled in her throat. Then she rammed her own face against him, moving her head back and forth with the same speed and intensity he had just demonstrated. Karakostas watched as she throatfucked him the way he liked it, ignoring her own need to breathe and the sharp, crushing agony every time his scaly cock pounded her soft throat.

It took only a few more minutes for him to start cumming. She didn't dare slow down, unwilling to risk his disapproval. Her soaking wet face continued to slap slap slap against his crotch as his sperm filled her stomach. Only when he was finished did he lay a hand on her forehead, and she immediately paused, awaiting her next order.

"On the desk," he said. "You have one more hole to try."

Nausea welled up in her, but Astaria only nodded and rose. She spread her legs and bent over, her stomach and breasts squishing against the puddle of cum left behind when he'd raped her pussy. The green haired woman stared blankly at the wall of the study as her father ripped another seam of her dress to expose her asshole. His shaft rubbed against her butt cheek, and she could feel that his excitement had left him fully erect once more. There was nothing she could do but remain quiet and still as he began to push.

Her anus resisted for a time. Not because she was trying to fend him off, or even because she had trouble relaxing her ass - she had learned that technique quickly with the leviathan - but because he was simply too big. His fat head prodded her too small opening, and could only push her forward at first, rubbing her body against the cum splattered wood. But he kept trying, applying pressure to her rosebud, and her flesh slowly began to give in.

"Do you know why the Paradisium Game exists?" he asked her out of the blue, as he slowly penetrated her.

"N-no, Father," she answered honestly, grateful for any chance to distract herself from what he was doing.

"It's not to make money," he said. "Some years are so expensive we barely recoup the cost. It's not because of its popularity either. People all over the world watch it, but even without it, they would still purchase from us. No, the game serves a far more important purpose."

One of his claws sank into her left ass cheek without warning, making her squeal and clench his invading shaft. He was writing on her body again. "It is the same reason we mark defective slaves as meat instead of just killing them immediately: to make sure everyone knows what slaves like you really are. When they watch you suffer and debase yourselves for their entertainment, when they see you tortured and killed for fun, it teaches them that you are not people, you are toys. They laugh and cheer at every moment of misery, and then they go home and treat their own slaves more roughly for it."

She didn't have to look to see what he was writing; his movements were slow and deliberate, and the pain formed a clear picture in her mind: WORTHLESS. "If the Paradisium was just about sex, we would only wield a fraction of the influence we do today. No, we are not in the business of selling sex slaves, daughter, we sell property. We take beautiful, vibrant creatures, and we turn them into objects that deserve no sympathy or love. That thrill of owning another life, of being able to do whatever you like with it without the burden of conscience... it is a far greater pleasure than anything mere genitalia can produce."

He moved on to her other cheek. "That is what you are now, daughter. I enjoy the tightness of your body, but never mistake that for more than it is. In my mind, you are no different from a shoe rack or a piece of toilet paper. You are a thing that has a use, and if someday you cease to be useful, you will be thrown out like any other piece of trash. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father," she said obediently. He finished writing: FAILURE.

He placed his hands on her bleeding cheeks, his fingers callously digging into the fresh cuts. "Push," came the command, and she did, even though it was like gripping the blade of a knife. With her assistance, her father literally tore his way through her sphincter muscle to get into her, adding a coat of blood to his prick to join the spit and cum. Unwilling to show even a moment of mercy, he stabbed her with it, driving himself deep into her guts despite the damage he must be doing to her asshole. No, she realized with sudden and wretched clarity, not despite the damage. The fact that he was ruining her was part of the lesson. Karakostas was marking her as his, as blatantly as a dog might urinate on a tree. He wanted to teach her that her asshole, just like the rest of her, belonged to him now, and he could do whatever he pleased with it.

This rational analysis of his behavior took place only in the back of her mind, almost more subconscious than anything else. The rest of her was consumed by pain and terror. Being raped by her father was like being gutted and beaten to death at the same time. His rock hard cock pushed everything else in her aside in its quest to get as deep in her as possible, and left behind countless internal lacerations and bruises. Astaria didn't even realize she was screaming until she choked on her own bloody spittle. Even the constant shocks of the collar weren't enough to make her stop. It wasn't a cry of agony, though she had plenty of that to spare. It was one of horror. She'd managed to endure the leviathan in part because she knew her ordeal wouldn't last forever, and in part because it was in the service of a greater goal. Both of these supports were now gone. Her father was raping and mutilating her asshole just to make himself cum, and he wasn't ever going to stop doing things like this. This agonizing anal rape wasn't a singular trial to overcome, it was the rest of her life. And the only reward for all of her suffering, whether she held out for minutes or decades, would be to get marked as meat and thrown to the wolves.

"Clench," her father said next, and the word made her sob; he wanted to hurt and humiliate her even more. Even this nightmare wasn't enough to satisfy him, and so now she would have to further degrade and injure herself for his sake. For a moment, Astaria sincerely considered refusing. It would mean being tortured to death, that she was sure of, but if that was her only possible fate, why put it off? Perhaps she'd get to see Mother afterward... perhaps she'd get to apologize to Ellie...

Astaria clenched, squeezing his huge prick with all its hard scales and sharp ridges as hard as she could. It was the most painful thing she'd ever done, but she kept at it while her father groaned in pleasure behind her. She'd sworn that she was going to make a difference, that she was going to make Ellie's pain mean something.. If she ever did meet the woman in the afterlife, how could she look her in the eyes if she quit here? Putting a stop to the Paradisium wasn't just her dream or her duty. It was her penance, and she didn't have the right to give up just because things had gone wrong. There were thousands of other women suffering out there right now, and she was **not** going to leave them to their fates like she had Ellie. She was going to save them, every last one of them, or die trying.

The dragon squealed when her father's hot cum sprayed her savaged bowels, and wanted to curl up into a ball and cry after he pulled his cock free of the gaping wound that had been her asshole. Instead she turned around and knelt, finding his spent dick with her mouth. There were new and disgusting tastes to him, and she ignored them, sucking determinedly on his shaft. She would do whatever she had to to survive. She would bide her time for however long it took, even though it meant being her father's fleshlight.

And one day, she would find her opportunity.


	12. Matthew Levinson

Four days ago.

The red fox lunged at his prey. She tried to dodge to the side and slip away, but his teeth caught her trailing hind leg and held on with everything he had. The golden fox snapped at him, tearing a chunk of flesh from his side, and he reciprocated by crunching through her leg. Her mobility ruined, she made no attempt to flee again, instead coming at him with a flurry of tails.

He slapped six of them away, but the other three grabbed hold of his body and flung him up in the air. He didn't try to hold onto her with his teeth, knowing from experience that the attempt would only result in them getting ripped out. He smashed into the ceiling with enough force to break his back if not for his own tails cushioning the impact. The red fox pushed away from the ceiling with all nine, using them to hasten his decent and crash into the golden fox below before she could recover.

He caught her head on this time, and the two rolled in a tangle of fur, fangs and claws. Her tails came at him again, but this time he was ready and intercepted them all with his own, not letting her disrupt him. Thanks to his superior strength, greater mass, and her broken leg, the scuffle ended with her pinned and helpless beneath him.

The red fox panted with lust as he looked down at his prize. He had no interest in her in this form, but her other... his cock rubbed against her belly, hard and eager, and he gripped her neck in his jaws in case his demand wasn't clear enough. 

The golden fox laughed. "That wasn't half bad." She twisted out of his grip with seemingly no effort at all, rolling away from him and righting herself. Her tails came at him a third time, but it was different from the first two barrages. For one, she used only a single tail instead of all nine. For another, while her previous movements had been on par with kicks and punches in terms of speed, in this new assault her tail moved as quickly as a bullet, one that zigged and zagged faster than his eyes could follow. The first blow struck hard enough to lift him off his feet, and the second hit even harder.

The golden fox batted him around like a cat playing with a ball of yarn, smacking the red fox into the floor, walls, and ceiling in equal measure while easily avoiding all of his attempted counters. By the time she let him drop to the ground and stay there, she'd shattered half his bones. Akemi yawned as she shifted back to her human form. "That was pretty good after just nine months of training, runt. Keep improving like this, and it might only take a decade or two before I get up to three tails. I may even use my claws someday!"

Levinson stewed silently as he remained in his fox form, waiting for the injuries that would have killed him several times over as a human to heal. No matter how much he improved, the bitch always defeated him effortlessly.

"It's a sincere compliment, just so you know," Daniels quipped from the sidelines. He and the others in the sparring room had stopped their own exercises to watch the bout. "Took me damn near fifty years to get her to use a third tail with me, and that was only because she was obscenely drunk at the time. Haven't managed it since."

"Don't force yourself to get up too soon, runt," Akemi told him. "Relax as long as you like. Get some beauty sleep while you're at it." Her grin told him that she knew perfectly well his insides were still in the middle of healing, just as she knew that he wouldn't be able to resist the challenge to his pride. Levinson held back a groan as he forced himself up to his feet. He could recover just as easily standing as he could laying down. And though he knew he was behaving exactly as the redhead predicted and wanted, it was still better than showing unnecessary weakness.

After nine months, she still called him runt, a reminder that he was the newest and youngest of them. Not the weakest though, not anymore. It had been immensely satisfying to crack Jacobs's skull open like an egg during their last spar, even if it hadn't stuck. Only a handful of the others could match him in a fight now, all of them Vixens. That was Akemi's term for her eight lieutenants, mostly women, who were her oldest and most loyal vulpan. Levinson had made the mistake of complaining about the gendered term once to Daniels, one of the two male Vixens, and ever since the redhead kept finding ways to mock him about it.

Akemi smirked at the sight of him struggling to his feet. "Anyone ever tell you how adorable you are? Like a little fuzzy ball of testosterone and male pride. Feel like getting some fresh air?"

"You're inviting me on a job?" he asked gruffly. He'd been left stewing in this trash heap they called a home for nearly an entire goddamn year now. The bitch claimed that it was because he wasn't ready for real work yet, but he knew that she just didn't trust him.

"Don't worry," she told him. "It promises to be boring and demeaning. Perfect for runt's first day out."

"Brie was supposed to be our sixth," commented Daniels. "But she's been a no-show for a few days now, ever since she lost to you. Probably busy shacking up with someone, putting the poor sap through his paces to cheer herself up. So you get to take her place." Akemi glared at him, but he pretended not to notice. Brie was one of the younger Vixens, and infamous for her sexual appetites. Males hunting females was nothing new around here; vulpan drew little distinction between rape and sex, and Akemi's official stance was that any woman foolish or weak enough to get caught deserved to get fucked silly for a while. But females hunting males was a rarer sight. Levinson's first introduction to Brie had been her sitting on another vulpan's face right in the middle of a hallway, teaching the man how she liked her pussy eaten. She'd nearly chewed the man's dick off before he managed to make her cum.

She'd probably have done the same thing to Levinson if she'd won their spar. She'd certainly expected to; from what he'd heard, it had been years since she'd lost a match to anyone but Akemi or another Vixen. Brie had challenged him with every intention of putting the upstart newbie in his place. Instead he'd beaten her to a pulp while everyone watched, mounted her and packed her womb with his seed, and then beaten her up some more. When he grew bored of abusing her, he'd throatfucked her until she puked and passed out, then came on her face and pissed on the rest of her for good measure before leaving.

He didn't like being underestimated.

"We head out first thing tomorrow morning," Akemi said, "and we'll be gone about a week, if you perform well enough. If I don't like what I see, you're not coming back."

"Fine by me," Levinson said. Her threat didn't worry him. For all her insults, the bitch wasn't so stupid that she didn't acknowledge his skills. Bringing him in as a replacement for a Vixen was proof of that. They both knew he was perfectly capable, she just wanted another opportunity to humiliate him. He'd pay her back for that with interest someday.

Akemi had left the sparring room, probably to go plan for tomorrow, by the time the blond man had fully healed and could return to normal. It took him only a few seconds to shift form, and didn't hurt much more than ripping off a band-aid, albeit one that covered his entire body. It grew quicker and easier every time he did it. And he no longer had to lug around that ridiculous red skin, either. They'd sewn a single strip of it into his back, and the main skin was now back with the white one and all his other trophies. Daniels had tried to convince him to donate the skins - apparently the one he had turned him into a fox markedly larger and stronger than the average, even before taking his superior fox marble into account - but he'd refused. Even if they weren't family heirlooms, he wasn't going to give up an advantage like that by sharing it with others, allies or not.

Dinner was a frozen pizza. They didn't even have a working oven around here, so he had to nuke it in one of the microwaves, leaving the crust soggy and the cheese burnt. As Levinson ate alone, he ignored the other hunger inside him, the one that wanted to rip someone's guts out and feast on them. It was always there with him, but it wasn't an overpowering urge like it was for gumiho. Part of their incompatibility with the fox marbles: they couldn't increase their power by eating people the way foxes did, but the upside was that the siren call was muted, a mere echo of what it once was, and even if they did give in to it and eat, that hunger would grow no stronger.

There were still consequences to having to constantly tamp down their murderous urges. It left them more aggressive, less equipped to resist their other instincts. He watched a fight break out in the mess area between two of the girls. He didn't see the cause of it, if there even was one. No one transformed - there were never too many marbles, so the average vulpan generally saved their power for special occasions - but they still fought tooth and nail with each other, the knowledge that they could heal afterward encouraging them to be as vicious as they liked. It ended with one girl breaking both of the other's arms, and then she sat on the loser's head to pin her down while her mate pulled her legs apart and rammed into her. More vulpan joined in to rape the helpless girl, and eventually the winner was caught up as well, spitroasted by two of the men while her mate continued uncaringly enjoying the other girl. By the end of it, the two former fighters were being forced to make out with each other as they were raped side by side, both of them so bruised and bloody that it was difficult to tell them apart.

It wasn't a long orgy, and when it was over, everyone just returned to their meals. The two girls that had been fighting so ferociously only minutes ago now laughed and chatted with each other and the men who had been raping them. That was the vulpan: little more than violent children, playing and fighting at the same time. Most of them had been like this for decades, their lifespans extended by the marbles. Decades wasted as a bunch of animals living in garbage, not caring about anything but their next meal and their next fuck. As much as he despised Akemi, she was one of the few with anything like actual ambition and intelligence.

After eating, Levinson went back to his room. He'd claimed a spot far from the others where he could have a bit of privacy. To his surprise, he found Akemi sitting on his bed. He tensed, expecting a confrontation, but she just gave him an amused smile. "I was wondering how long you were going to take, runt," she said. "Nearly fell asleep waiting." She wore bikini shorts and her usual flak jacket, but no shirt, her chest covered by a strip of white cloth.

"What do you want?" Levinson growled, trying to hide his startlement. He began pulling clothes out of his dresser for tomorrow's mission, studiously not looking in her direction while still keeping careful track of her out of the corner of his eye. He could reach the exit in two strides if necessary, but that would just mean getting to die out in the hall instead of in here. He reached one hand deep into the drawer and quietly confirmed that the pistol he'd stashed was still back there. It wouldn't be enough to kill her, but it might buy him enough time to get away.

"Just came by to brief you on what we're going to be doing. Everyone else already knows, so..." she shrugged. "Figured we'd do this one-on-one. Well, that was the plan, anyway, until I saw what was in your closet..." She must have seen him stiffen, because she laughed. "Relax, runt. You can let go of that gun, too. If I was going to kill you, I'd already be picking my teeth with your bones."

He did relax a little at that. Levinson hated to admit it, but she wasn't wrong. And if she already knew the truth, there was no point in beating about the bush. "Is she still in there, or did you already let her go?"

"Still in there," Akemi said. "She begged me to untie her, but I wanted to talk to you first."

Levinson went to the closet and opened it, confirming her words. Brie was still hanging upside down, arms bound hand to elbow behind her and her big toes tied to the closet rod with twine. Judging from the way both digits had turned purple and swollen, supporting her weight like that had to be torture on them, but she had worse things to worry about. One was the weight hanging from her newly pierced clitoris, which punished her for every last muscle twitch. The other was the choke collar with the leash also tied to the closet rod; if she wanted to breathe, she had to arch her back and strain to keep her head up. Her body shook like a leaf and her face dripped with tears, the position clearly agonizing to hold, but her only alternative had been choking to death alone in the dark.

Blood still dripped down from where he'd torn the fox skin out of her back, leaving a stain on the closet floor that would probably never come out. The vulpan were idiots for only using a single strip of fox skin, and hiding it in the same place every time. In addition to the one he'd let them sew onto his back, he had another two hidden elsewhere. Doing the process himself had been slow and painful, but anyone who thought he could be crippled as easily as the rest of them would receive a nasty surprise.

"Pleeeaaase," Brie whined hoarsely, looking past him at Akemi. "He's going to kill me!"

"Were you?" Akemi asked him. She didn't sound like she'd be very upset if the answer was yes.

"I hadn't decided yet," he told her truthfully. "Was going to see if she could be trained first. She's been a hopeless cunt so far, but it's only been three days since she attacked me in my sleep. I usually give even the dumbest bitches a week before I give up on them." Brie went completely limp after he untied her leash from the closet rod, allowing her to breathe freely for the first time in six hours. She could've been mistaken for a corpse if not for her panicked panting breaths and the rapid thudding of her heart, so loud and fast that Levinson could feel it through her skin.

"Three days ago," Akemi said thoughtfully as he began untying the blonde's toes. "The day after your spar then. I knew she wouldn't be happy about losing, but I didn't think she'd be this stupid."

"What else was I supposed to do?!" Brie demanded, some life and spirit returning to her now that she wasn't on the verge of death. It probably helped that she was facing the wall now, and didn't have to actually look at either of them. "He humiliated me in front of everyone!"

"Oh, Brie..." Akemi got up from the bed and approached the woman. Her hand flashed, and a red handprint appeared on the blonde's right ass cheek that made her squeal. "You humiliated yourself. A Vixen losing to someone who's had their marble less than a year? And in a match that she herself initiated, no less?" Levinson finished untying Brie from the closet rod and she collapsed onto the floor. He knelt to start freeing her hands, but Akemi stopped him. "Not yet. Put her on the bed first."

He dumped her onto the bed face up, her arms still trapped beneath her. The redhead straddled the woman's face, her bikini shorts already dangling off her ankle. "I still haven't decided how to punish you for sullying our reputation twice over, first by letting yourself get beaten, and second by letting yourself get caught like this. If I were you, I'd start doing my best to put my boss in a better mood." Judging by the frenzied slurping sounds that followed, the blonde bitch was taking her words to heart.

"And you," Akemi said, turning her attention back to Levinson now that Brie was hard at work. "Is there any reason why I shouldn't kill you for kidnapping and raping one of my subordinates?"

He spat on the ground. "Go wander outside right now, I bet you'll find at least two other sluts getting held down and pounded as hard as I ever fucked this one."

"Some tussling with a bit of fun afterward is one thing. Everyone gets back up after, no harm done. No one else here is keeping a fellow vulpan tied up in their closet, or ripping the fox skins out of their flesh."

Levinson crossed his arms. "So kill me then. If you're waiting for me to apologize for trying to turn that empty headed cunt into something useful, we'll be here all night."

"No," Akemi said, "I figured out a long time ago that you're too pigheaded to ever do something that smart. And..." She suddenly moaned and clutched Brie's hair, her hips now rolling. "That's the spot, Brie. Keep licking me just like that. Exactly like that. Don't change a... damn it..." Her hand darted out and flicked the weight still attached to the blonde's clit, making her scream into the redhead's pussy. "What did I just say?!" Brie was screeching something incomprehensible as Akemi continued torturing her with the clit piercing. "Yeah? And I want you to do what I told you, and get that tongue back where it belongs! Which do you think is gonna happen first?! ...That's it, now you've got it again..."

She let go of the weight and moaned again. "Just like that... just like that... yeah... don't you dare fuck this up, Brie... Goddess help me, I'll hand you back to the runt with a bow on... yes... yes... ohhhhhhh fuck yes..." The redhead shuddered as she came hard.

Once the orgasm had passed, Akemi sighed happily. "That was fun. Okay, we'll deal with Brie first, then you, runt." She rose up off the bed and looked down at the blonde, whose face was plastered in her juices. "Kneel." Brie quickly obeyed, rolling off the bed and kneeling at her feet. "From now on, until I decide otherwise, you are no longer a Vixen. You got yourself into this mess by having too high an opinion of yourself, so I'm going to do you a favor and help you correct that. Your new role is pack cumdump. Do you know what that means, Brie?" The blonde shook her head, eyes wide. "It means that you are now responsible for making every member of the pack cum at least once a day, every day. If I hear about a single man or woman not using you to get off, then we'll see if you're better suited to be the pack toilet. Understood?"

Brie hung her head low. "Understood."

"Then what are you still hanging around here for?" Akemi asked crossly. "The day's more than half over and you've only done two people today!"

The blonde slut's face paled as she realized the time crunch she'd just been put under. "B-but my hands...," she said. He arms were still tightly bound behind her. "And my fur, I don't-"

"You'll get your skin back if you can prove you deserve to be a Vixen again," Akemi interrupted. "And unless someone wants a handjob, a cumdump doesn't need hands. Now go!" Brie opened her mouth to protest again, then thought the better of it. Without another word, she scrambled to her feet and ran away, whimpering as the movement made her clitoris weight swing wildly back and forth.

It wasn't until she was out of sight that Akemi broke into laughter. "A few weeks should take care of that overinflated ego of hers. Although, she did have such a soft, eager tongue just now. If she does too good, I might have to make her new position permanent."

Levinson didn't join in her amusement. The blonde hadn't been anything more than a diversion, but it still galled him to see her taken away from him. Not to mention that Akemi had just effectively blueballed him. He'd been planning to spend half the night in that arrogant slut, give her a full once over before he had to leave tomorrow.

His frustration must have been clear on his face, because Akemi smirked at him. "Aww, what's the matter, runt? Gonna cry because I confiscated your fucktoy? You've still got two hands."

She stepped closer to him, and suddenly her hand was down his pants, caressing his hard cock. "Or maybe we could find some other ways to relieve all this tension, huh?" She made a fist and began softly pumping his shaft. "Your personality is shit, runt, but you've got a nice dick, and you could be downright cute if you learned to keep your mouth shut."

"Not interested," Levinson growled, and grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand out of his pants.

"Like hell you aren't," she told him. "You think I don't notice the way you're always looking at me? Or how your cock turns into an iron bar whenever we're sparring? You've been dying to fuck me from the moment you saw me."

"Yes," he admitted.

"Then what's the problem?" She tried to wrench her hand away from his grip, but his strength easily matched hers. He was pleased to see that when they were both human, she was no longer his clear superior in physical prowess. The knowledge that her fox skin was the only thing preventing him from pinning her against the wall right now and claiming her didn't help make his cock any softer. "I'm not talking about anything romantic. Frankly, runt, you disgust me. You've got no respect for anything, no humility, no intelligence. You're an angry, horny little man who can't stand any woman who talks back. But if we close our eyes, you can just be a warm fat dildo for me, and I can just be a tight wet fleshlight for you. Doesn't have mean anything."

"No," he said adamantly.

"Why?" she hissed, her face right up next to his.

"Because when I fuck you, bitch," Levinson said fiercely, "I'm going to be the one on top." He had zero interest in her giving herself to him. What he wanted was to take it from her, to rip away everything she had while she sobbed and regretted ever thinking this could end any other way.

Akemi laughed in his face. "That's what you're waiting for?" She tried to pull her hand away from him again, and this time she succeeded. "It's a shame most of the pack aren't into guys, runt, because your ego needs even more work than Brie's." She pulled her shorts back up and fixed her hair. "Why don't we try this again in ten years? Maybe by then, a little reality will have finally sunk into your thick skull."

Levinson stewed alone in his room for a while after she'd gone, fury and lust both boiling over. When the time came, he was going to make that bitch squeal. The idea was almost enough to make him cum right then and there, but he stopped himself. Her time would come, and he had better ways to relieve his balls.

It didn't take long to find Brie. The blonde slut was at the center of a gangbang, desperately fucking three guys at once while dozens more waited their turn. Her arms were still tied behind her, and Levinson had a feeling that wasn't going to change for a very long time. She still wore the clit piercing too, and the leash from her choke collar dangled between her tits. Her eyes went wide with terror when she saw him approach, but she wasn't exactly in a position to object. No one complained when he stepped up after the vulpan in her throat finished; everyone knew what he'd done to her after their spar, and most of them were eager to see him use her again.

"If you'd been smarter," he told her quietly as he fed his cock down her throat, "you would've begged Akemi to let you go back into my closet. Did you really think I was going to stop training you to be a fucktoy? All you've done now is gained an audience." He raised his voice. "I spent the last few days teaching this old bitch some new tricks. She learned how to eat out my ass, how to spitshine my balls, how to lick my shoes clean and guzzle my piss, and that's just her mouth! I spent far more time on her cunt and ass, turning them into tight, eager to please fuckholes, didn't I, slut?" Brie nodded helplessly as she desperately tongued his shaft, trying in vain to convince him to show her a shred of mercy. "Who wants to see my teaching method?"

There was a general ruckus of agreement from all of those watching. "She's a very stupid animal, but I found that nothing helped her learn better than a belt to the backside or a tug on her collar," he told them. He yanked on her leash, and was rewarded by loud gagging and gurgles as the blonde was choked. "Hear that? That's the sound of a slut who's now paying very close attention to me." From the eager looks on everyone's face as they watched the once proud vulpan gasp for air, she wasn't going to be doing much breathing from now on.

"Ready, bitch?" Levinson asked her. "I'm going to make sure that while Akemi and I are gone this week, everyone knows exactly how to treat you. By the time we get back, there will be no more ridiculous thoughts in your head about being a Vixen, a vulpan, or anything else with a scrap of self respect. You'll understand that you're nothing but a worthless fucktoy here to make everyone else happy. And then, we can start the real training."

Brie whimpered.

**********

A day and a half later, Levinson increasingly regretted having been chosen for this mission. They'd spent all day yesterday traveling to their temporary base of operations for it, an abandoned warehouse even more pathetic and rundown than their regular home. Six of them had all slept in the same room, the first time in a long time he'd been forced to spend a night without a cunt to enjoy. Akemi had made sure to mock him for it, suggesting that they all close their eyes so he could jerk off in the corner, and offering to suck him off if he got on all fours and barked like a dog first.

After that long and frustrating night, they'd changed into the uniforms they'd been provided and gone outside to find a limo already waiting for them. The driver looked human, but the way he seemed perfectly at ease picking up six uniformed and armed men and women out in the middle of nowhere suggested experience. "Have you ever been to the Paradisium, runt?" Akemi asked as their limo began to pull away.

"A few times," he said gruffly. When it came to acquiring slaves, he preferred to do business directly with the would be owners, and cut out the middleman. But sometimes he caught an animal that no one had a specific demand for, and the Paradisium was always happy for fresh bodies, even the ugly and broken ones. There was never enough meat to keep everyone satisfied. "Never as a security guard, though." He spat out the title, wishing he could tear off this ridiculous uniform and put on some proper clothing. He deserved better than playing nursemaid to rich fools and their pets.

"Aww, don't cry, runt," said Akemi with mock sympathy. "It'll make your mascara run. We've done business with this client before, and he always pays well. So if he wants us to spend a week providing him with some subtle extra protection, we'll do it, and without getting our panties in a twist."

Levinson scowled. "We have all this power, and you want to waste it on being hired help. If I was in charge-"

"If you were in charge," Akemi interrupted, "the sun would be doing somersaults out in someone's backyard, and the ocean would be made out of vinegar, because any world where you successfully challenge me would have to be one of utter insanity. So spare me the theoreticals." Her eyes became hard, and her tone lost the mocking playfulness she usually used with him. "I have a goal, runt, and it's about more than just winning a strongman contest. I need money and influence, and Ilya Petrov has plenty of both to spare."

Hearing the old man’s name explained a lot. The reclusive billionaire enjoyed special privileges with the Paradisium, and acquired all of his stock from there. Levinson could admit, begrudgingly, that getting on the man’s good side wasn’t meaningless… when it was possible at all. But why the hell would he be requesting bodyguards here, and from the vulpan of all people? “What is this goal of yours, then?” he asked.

"To strengthen the pack," the redhead told him. "You've seen how few of us there are. We always need more foxes, more fuel, more candidates... you think I want us to be nothing but hired mercs forever? I know to you, being a vulpan is just some power up for your macho fantasies, but it means more than that. You are all my people - even you, runt - and I'm going to make something of us."

That he could almost respect, though the pack would function better in his hands than hers. Other than the infuriating way she treated him, Akemi was far too lax with her underlings. You couldn't get anything done like that. Discipline and order were the keys to a powerful fighting force, and the red haired bitch didn't care about either. Things would be very different once he'd figured out how to make her kneel at his feet. And when that time came, Akemi would soon find herself wishing she'd submitted to him on day one like a properly trained bitch. He'd endured ten months of humiliation, and he was going to enjoying paying her back with interest.

On a map, the Paradisium was only a tiny dot within the Mongolian-Manchurian grasslands, but in person it seemed impossibly massive. The oldest and greatest slave market in the world sprawled across the landscape like a small city, and when its doors were open to the public, as they were now, it had the population to match. Tens of thousands attended the Paradisium Game every year, including many subhumans, and not just those in chains and collars. Karakostas prided himself on being happy to do business with anyone of any race, as long as their money was good or their slaves enticing.

His motives weren't born out of any desire for inclusiveness or equality. The dragon just wanted to expand his market, and was ruthless in getting his way. As the limo passed through the first of several security checkpoints, Levinson saw a group of Ulfethnar wolves with several of their women trailing behind on leashes. All of them, including the men, looked miserable. Their tribe, like so many other races here, was being forced to offer up women to the Paradisium every year in exchange for their continued survival. More than one species over the centuries had gone extinct for refusing to provide Karakostas with slaves, or for just not having acceptable sacrifices one year.

Whatever credentials Petrov had supplied them with were good, and the limo passed through every security checkpoint without incident to arrive at the main building. The reception hall was as much an orgy as it was a market, and you couldn't walk five feet without bumping into a slave being put to use, often by as many as six or seven men at once. There were a thousand such pockets of debauchery, and dozens of the Paradisium's private slaves crawled between and among them, diligently lapping up spilled cum and other fluids to keep the place clean.

"Looks like the first day of the game has already started," said Akemi, glancing up at the television screens lining the walls. Various girls in masks were running through some sort of tunnels, those who weren't already pinned to the ground to mate with huge dogs. "That means Petrov will be upstairs in the Player area right now, where we're not allowed to go. We'll have to wait down here and rendezvous with him later." She looked around the room and smiled. "Just keep your cocks in your pants, yeah? We're here as security, not guests. You all do a good job this week, and maybe I'll pick out a nice souvenir to bring home with us."

Daniels grinned. "Don't tease us, boss. Nami's still the freshest one we got, and she's got about as much life to her as a blowup doll these days. We don't get some decent pussy soon, I'm liable to explode."

"Why don't you ask the runt for help with your blue balls?" Akemi suggested. "You're good with your hands, right, runt? Why not do Daniels a favor and... hey!" She waved her hand in front of Levinson's face. "Earth to Levinson! Listen when people are talking to you!"

The blond man ignored her, his eyes fixed on one of the television screens. Her face was obscured by a mask, and she was looking far cleaner than the last time he'd seen her, but he recognized those four tails. "You told me she would be long dead by now," he said to Daniels without looking at the man. "So how the fuck is the fox cunt still alive?"

*********

More than half the screens in the reception hall were still replaying the highlight of the evening: Ember's duel with Ginger. Every blow of the fight was shown repeatedly from different angles in and slow motion, up to the moment the blade flashed and broke against the fox's skin. Half a dozen commentators were speculating on what sort of creature the fox must really be, and what the apparent alliance between her and the phoenix would mean for the remaining two rounds.

Levinson watched it all intently, trying to find some clue in the footage. He'd seen that kind of speed and resilience from her before, back when they'd first captured her. And he had similar abilities himself now as a vulpan. But both of those required being in fox form. He was no stronger than before as a human, and if she'd possessed powers like that while he'd been breaking her, she would've escaped him easily. This was something new, something related to her still being alive, which Daniels swore up and down shouldn't be possible.

And he wanted it.

On one of the screens, a man in an old fashioned tweed suit was attempting to interview her handler upstairs. "What can you tell us about Ginger, now considered by many to be the dark horse of this competition?"

"She is not a horse," said Celeste coolly. "She is a fox." The dark haired woman wasn't outright glaring at him, but her flat expression made no secret of the fact that she had no interest in the interview. Looking at her made Levinson's blood boil. Akemi might be the focus of his rage these days, but he hadn't forgotten the way this one had treated him back in England, humiliating him in front of everyone and forcing an apology out of him. He owed the fae bitch some payback.

The man laughed politely, as though she'd been making a joke. "Very true, very true! Is there anything you can tell us about her?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes."

Several seconds of dead air followed.

"And that something is...?" he said eventually.

"Not your business."

The man cleared his throat. Celeste was no longer the only person on screen who looked like they wanted to be somewhere else. "A-as her handler, what would you say are her chances of winning the Paradisium Game now?"

"I wouldn't."

The interview continued like that for several more minutes, the interviewer growing increasingly flustered by her non-answers. "Well, um, that was Celeste," he said finally, addressing the camera directly. "As, uh, enigmatic as she is beautiful?" He coughed. "Anyway, thank you for this... informative look into the fox who seems to be on her way to becoming the star of the show!"

Celeste brushed past him towards the exit, but she'd barely taken two steps before another interviewer ambushed her. "Just a few more questions, ma'am," said Daniels with an easy smile.

Levinson watched the fae nearly grimace, but begin passively answering the vulpan's questions. Unlike the first man, Daniels was completely fine with her non-answers, and continue to ask question after question as though they were having a pleasant interview. It helped that he couldn't care less about what she said. Levinson had just asked the man to stall her, and he had to admit Daniels was doing a fine job.

After confirming that Celeste was going to be busy with him for a while, Levinson slipped out of the reception hall. Now that their bodyguard was occupied, it was time to pay the Wilmingshires a visit.

**********

"I just don't understand it, though," Jessica said. "How could our Ginger be capable of something like that?" She paced back and forth in their bedroom, a nervous habit she'd never been able to get rid of.

George waved a hand dismissively. "I'm telling you, love, it's all just dramatics for the camera! I'm sure the two of them set up the entire stunt in advance." He chuckled. "She can be a smart little pet when she wants to be, I'll give her that."

The two of them had retired to their quarters within the Paradisium after helping Muhtadi. Their new friend had been so furious over losing his succubus that he'd gone and chosen to purchase some random meat from the Paradisium as her replacement. Meat! Jessica tried not to judge anyone for their preferences, but she found the entire practice horribly barbaric. It was so much more humane to simply put unwanted slaves to sleep. No need to torment the poor things just because they were dysfunctional. And usually meat was kept within the Paradisium, which did technically own them at that point, even if they could be freely used by anyone there. To want to bring one home with you was like taking things out of someone's trash bin.

They'd tried to persuade the man to choose something else. Muhtadi had struck Jessica as a very nice young fellow, if a bit naive about the world, not at all like the usual sort who made use of meat. It had been a shame to see him with such rage in his eyes, and so eager to take it out on someone. She'd seen other men look at meat with those sorts of eyes, and the result was always... uncouth. But he had insisted, and they'd promised the man they'd buy him any slave he wanted, so George had gone and had a talk with some folks, exchanged a bit of money, and Muhtadi had become the meat's owner. Jessica just hoped they'd never have to find out what sort of things he did to her.

The blonde supposed George was right about Ginger. The girl wasn't very smart, but never outright disobedient. The closest she'd ever come was her inappropriate behavior during the Game, but as Celeste had pointed out, that was just the sweet thing's attempt to make her owners proud of her. No, minus the occasional mistake due to her own ineptitude, she'd been a perfectly well behaved pet since day one. And little wonder, given that she'd been a feral stray living outdoors all on her own before they'd adopted her. After everything they'd done for her, it was only natural that Ginger love them as much as they loved her. Jessica just couldn't square their adorable fox with what they'd witnessed today. It had to have been staged.

She missed the animal. Playing with the cute little things at the Paradisium was always wonderful fun, but there was something warm and cozy about having all three of them together. Ginger was so pretty to look at, and she loved the way George was always so happy to play with her. Sometimes that happiness hurt to look at too, but that was just selfishness on her part. Giving her husband a playtoy that could do what she couldn't was why Jessica had bought the fox in the first place.

Their current living quarters didn't help. The Paradisium had hundreds of lodgings available, ranging from small rooms packed together to large standalone mansions. She and George had chosen the nicest one to stay at, of course, but it was still a far cry from the comforts of home. The bed wasn't as soft, the water pressure in the shower wasn't as strong, the cuisine offered by the chefs wasn't as delectable... and the feng shui of the place was just atrocious! She was looking forward to going home. With all three of them, like it should be.

A knock on the front door startled them both. "Ah, good," George said. "Celeste has finally returned. I was wondering what was taking her so long." Their fae servant preferred to stay closely by their side at all times, but the Paradisium had wanted to conduct a few interviews with her after the game, and the Wilmingshires weren't in the mood to wait, especially with reminders of Ginger's impossible behavior being broadcast from every direction.

"I'll get it, dear," Jessica told her husband as she descended downstairs. She checked the pinhole first. The Paradisium wasn't a dangerous place by any means, but there were all those nonhumans running about, and who knew what kind of mischief they might get up to at night.

Their evening visitor turned out to be not Celeste at all, but a blond security guard with a gruff expression. "May I help you?" she asked politely, without opening the door.

"Are you Jessica and George Wilmingshire?" he asked stiffly. He looked vaguely familiar, so she'd no doubt seen him elsewhere in the Paradisium before. 

"Why yes, " she answered. "Is there something wrong?"

The man gave a small nod. "We have reason to believe there was a security breach in the area, ma'am. Is there anyone else in the house with you right now?"

"No, just myself and my husband," said Jessica uncertainly. "What do you mean by a security breach? Are we in any danger?"

"That's what I'm here to assess. May I come inside?"

"Oh, of course," Jessica said, and opened the door for him. He stepped inside and glanced around, his expression cold and serious.

"Where is your husband?"

"Upstairs in the master bedroom," she told him. "We-" The man buried his fist in her stomach, causing pain and nausea to suddenly burst to life in her head. She doubled over, coughing, and his knee smashed into her face, generating another explosion of hot pain. She opened her mouth to scream, but he shoved a rag into it to muffle her cry. It tasted so horrible that she nearly retched.

Too panicked and confused to think about her situation, Jessica obeyed her instinct to run, turning to dash up the stairs. The guard's hand caught her ankle and sent her crashing down onto the steps. Before she'd even hit the ground, his other hand had begun tearing at her clothing. She struggled to get away from him, but he wrenched her arms behind her back hard enough to make something snap and pain flare up, and bound them behind her with his belt.

Jessica groaned through the gag, still overwhelmed by what was going on. She couldn't-- she had to-- he was-- Her thoughts were a jumble of terror and disbelief. Something like this couldn't really be happening. Not to her.

"Everything alright down there, dear?" called George from upstairs.

Jessica froze like a deer in headlights when she felt cold metal dig into her cheek. A glance down confirmed it: the intruder had a gun pointed right at her face. "I'm going to remove the gag now, slut," he breathed, his voice low and quiet. "There are two ways this can go: you stay silent and get fucked hard right here on these stairs. Or you try to warn your husband, so I kill him, come back here, and fuck you hard right here on these stairs. You want your husband to die?" She shook her head quickly. "So you'll be a quiet fucktoy?" Her response came much slower this time, but she nodded.

When he pulled the rag out of her mouth, Jessica had to bite down the urge to scream at the top of her lungs. He would kill George, she reminded herself. She had to protect him. At least she didn't have to taste that filthy, foul tasting cloth anymore.

There was the sound of furniture shifting and floorboards creaking as George rose from their bed. "Jess, is something wrong?" There was a note of worry in his voice.

Jessica swallowed hard and tried to ignore the blond man's hands, which were busy peeling off her bra and sliding her panties down her legs. "I'm fine, love!" she forced herself to call back. "Just some... some routine security matter. Relax and stay up there, I'm taking care of it!"

More floorboards creaked. "Alright," said George, mollified. "Don't take too long, honeybunch. I'm going to start getting ready for bed."

"You heard the man," whispered her assailant nastily. "We'll have to make this hard and fast." There was no foreplay to it, no time to prepare herself. He just grabbed her hips and shoved his cock into her.

Jessica squealed softly. It hurt! God, it hurt! George liked it when she occasionally played with herself using toys, so her hymen was long gone, but she'd never had anything as big as the blond man inside her, let alone received a ruthless pounding like this one. She'd already been wet, expecting another pleasant night with George, and her rapist took full advantage of it. He fucked in full, powerful strokes that took him all the way from her entrance to her cervix and back in a rough, eager rhythm. 

She bit her lip to keep from crying out as he yanked fiercely on her hair, riding her like he was taming an unruly horse. "Rich little cunt," he whispered harshly into her ear. "What good's all that money doing now, impaled on my cock? You thought you could do anything you wanted, didn't you? Thought all that money and power made you something special. But push comes to shove and you're just another squirming bitch."

Jessica's face flushed with shame as she involuntarily proved his words true, unable to stop herself from twisting and turning in useless attempts to evade his prick. He matched her movements easily, spearing her again and again on his long cock. Wet or not, her pussy wasn't at all prepared for this barbaric treatment, and her insides were soon raw and swollen, making each ruthless thrust hurt more than the last. She was certain that if he didn't stop soon, he was going to kill her.

As if reading her thoughts, her rapist whispered to her again. "You want this to end, slut?" She nodded. "Then put this cunt of yours to work for the first time in your life. Clench me, bitch. Show me how tight Lady Jessica Wilmingshire's twat can get."

Humiliated but desperate, she obeyed as best she could. Gripping him with her aching pussy was like grabbing hold of a live wire, but she forced herself to keep it up. It would be over soon. It would be over, and George would be safe, and this would all just be an awful memory. She just had to make this wretched man finish.

He moaned quietly in her ear, the sound deliberate and mocking. "I knew you could manage it if you tried, bitch. Even worthless garbage like you can be taught to please a man." His assault on her grew even more frenzied, and she'd seen George in action enough times to know that he was nearly finished. "Thanks for the ride, slut," he told her. "Savor this load of cum, because when it's over, I'm going upstairs to kill that fat piece of shit."

Jessica's eyes went wide at his words. She had to warn George! Even a small chance to escape would be better than nothing. She opened her mouth to scream, but the man's hands wrapped around her throat to silence her cries. As he began to shoot into her, he throttled her hard, making her head spin and black spots appear in her vision. The blonde choked and squirmed helplessly, tongue sticking out of her mouth, as her thoroughly abused pussy was splattered with a stranger's seed.

He didn't release his death grip on her throat until every last drop of his cum had filled her, and even then he only let go with a single hand. The other remained curled around her neck, ready to squeeze her airway shut again at a moment's notice. That hand was the only thing stopping her from screaming like a banshee when his free hand grabbed the fallen rag and stuffed it up her pussy. It felt like sandpaper on her poor genitals as he twisted it around inside of her. "I know someone with your refined palate must have trouble handling common foods," he said with mock politeness as she fought just to draw breath. "So I went ahead and prepared a fitting meal." He started forcing the dirty rag back into her mouth, pushing it far enough down her throat that she wouldn't be able to spit it out. "What you're tasting right now, bitch, aside from my warm cum and your own sluttiness, is the result of cleaning one of the public bathrooms for an hour. Even I don't know what all the stains on this are."

That knowledge made the makeshift gag taste even more foul than before, and this time she really did retch, though nothing came up. Her stomach was still churning and rumbling when her rapist stood up and hauled her to her feet with him. "That was just to take the edge off, slut. Now I'm ready to really show you why you shouldn't have tried to fuck me over."

**********

Levinson frogmarched the rich cunt up the stairs, admiring the bob and sway of her hips. She was a sexy fucktoy, he couldn't deny that. He was already eager to take her again.

George Wilmingshire went pale when he saw his wife, bound, gagged, and naked, alongside a gun being pointed in his direction. "I, wh- what is the meaning of this?!" he sputtered. "Unhand her at once, you-" Levinson shot him.

The fat man screamed and fell backwards, clutching at his right leg. The bullet had gone straight through, and a steady stream of blood was coming out of the wound. George howled when Levinson stomped on the bullet hole, grinding his foot against it with all his weight. Then he shot the man's other leg. "I'm going to give you a choice," he told the screaming man calmly before shooting him again, this time winging his shoulder. "We can find out how many shots it takes before your troll blood gives up and lets you die." His next bullet struck squarely in the palm. "Or you can do whatever I tell you."

"I-I-I'll do whatever you want, just stop!" George begged, his face twisted up with agony. "Stop stop stop!"

"Then help me rape your wife," Levinson told him. "Start by fucking her pussy."

"You... you what?!" George exclaimed. "Please, I-" Levinson shot him in the leg again.

"I thought I'd kept this simple enough for even a fat piece of shit like you to understand, but I guess I underestimated you," the blond man said. He pointed the gun at George's face. "Let me dumb it down for you. Rape your wife or die screaming."

The man nodded quickly and stood up. "Y-yes! Right away!" His wife squealed through her gag as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer to him, his cock pressing between her legs. She looked as terrified as he did, but she didn't make any attempt to resist him or get away as he started working to cram himself into what was far too tight a hole for him. It wasn't a quick process; he was so thick that even Levinson wasn't sure it was going to be possible. But George seemed very motivated as he pushed and pulled every which way, and Jessica was soon making small sounds of distress. When his head first penetrated her, she let out a long, miserable groan that made Levinson's cock ache for another round with her. It disappeared in her slowly, every millimeter requiring significant effort on her husband's part. After a couple long minutes, he was about half inside of her, her belly bulging with a visible outline of his cock. Her feet dangled a few inches above the ground, her entire body suspended on him. "Th-that's as far as I can go," George said nervously. "I-I'm hitting her cervix."

"Fine. Now hold still while I help you consummate your marriage." Levinson's belt was still wrapped around Jessica's wrists, but George had brought some with him. The thin blonde's body went rigid as the leather belt struck her left buttock. "Time for some more fucktoy training, slut," Levinson told her. "Make him cum without him having to move." Her ass was perfectly round and smooth, and made an excellent target. It bobbed from side to side as he added red welts to make her ass even sexier. The way her legs flexed told him that she was clenching her husband's monster cock like he wanted, sometimes voluntarily, sometimes as an instinctive reaction to her beating. "And quit that whining! This is all your own damn fault for cheating me out of my money."

Between her efforts and Levinson's motivation, it didn't take long before George's cock pulsed. The blond man enjoyed the pained look on Jessica's face as her husband's hot cum soaked her cunt. The bulge in her belly noticeably grew by the end of it, her pussy too tight around his shaft to let any of his cum ooze out.

Levinson didn't pause with the belt. "Nobody told you to stop, bitch. You're going to make up for lost time tonight." He gave her ass another twenty or so hits before he just couldn't hold back any longer. He couldn't see Jessica's face when his cock touched her virgin asshole, but the way she began trembling and crying was reaction enough. "Don't worry," he taunted, "I'll make sure your husband gets to stretch this hole out too. I just want to know what it feels like before he destroys it."

Jessica was sandwiched between the two of them, her cum swollen belly pressed against her husband as Levinson worked his cock into her, George's making her almost impossibly tight. Even after squeezing in she was difficult to move around in, but he could tell that it was agonizing for her, and that was what counted. "You screwed me on that contract," he told her. "So now I screw you back. The only difference is, slut, when I fuck someone, they stay fucked." He met George's eyes. "Time to pound your wife's cunt. If I think you're not fucking her as hard as you could, I'll chop your dick off and feed it to her."

The man whimpered, and his wife moaned as he lifted her up. Both her cunt and asshole resisted, clinging tightly to their cocks, but she slowly rose in the air until only their heads were still in the helpless woman. Then George pulled her down, and her legs twitched and spasmed as both hard cocks were buried back into her. Up and down she went, bounced in the air like a cheap toy, every movement hell for her. Her body convulsed every time her husband slapped her bruised ass cheeks against Levinson's crotch.

"You're the one she bought Ginger from, right?" asked George anxiously as he helped Levinson rape his wife's virgin asshole. "I swear I wasn't any part of that! I didn't even know about it until after it happened! Your quarrel is with her, not me!"

"Then you should have kept your bitch on a tighter leash," Levinson growled.

"R-right, I, um, I'm very sorry for that, sir!" George pleaded. "I'll make sure my, my bitch understands her place from now on!"

"From now on?" Levinson laughed. "You really are a fucking idiot, aren't you? Neither of you are leaving this room alive. The only question is whether I make it quick or slow. This cunt still has a lot of suffering to do, but I'll make your death painless if you do a good job making hers memorable."

"No, no, please!" George begged. "We can work something out, I promise! I have money, lots of money! I'll give you all of it! I... I... my wife! Why don't you keep her?" Jessica squawked something, but he ignored it. "I can help make her disappear, and then you... you can really punish her! I'll, I'll make up a good excuse so no one ever comes looking for her!"

Levinson reached around to grab Jessica's bouncing tits. She was already so tight around him that even pinching and twisting her nipples couldn't get her to clench any harder, but that didn't matter. Hurting a stuck up cunt was its own reward. "And you think I'd believe you'd just give me your wife?"

"I only married her for her money and her family!" George insisted. "Why would I want a wife I can't even fuck? She's never been anything but a trophy! I, I promise I don't care about her at all, so, so you can just take her with you and leave me, okay?"

For all of the bitch's tightness, it was the quiet sob she made in reaction to her husband's words that made Levinson cum more than anything else. As he spat his load into her guts, he considered the fat man's words. "Cum first, then show me how much damage you did to her."

It didn't take long for George to obey. He swung his wife up and down vigorously, shaking her like a ketchup bottle until he squirted inside her. The additional load of cum made her belly swell like a woman several months pregnant. Levinson put his hands on that bulge and pushed, causing her thrash as her husband's cum was displaced. When he finally pulled out of her, it all erupted from her cunt like a firehose going off. Levinson inspected the damage with some satisfaction. Her cunt had been absolutely demolished. It was so loose that he reckoned he could stick a fist in there without touching the walls. It was also completely basted with cum, every exposed inch slathered in the stuff. It looked like the hole of a used up, gangbanged whore, not one of the richest women in the world. "Do even worse to her asshole, and I'll consider it," he told her husband.

Jessica was still sobbing as George turned her around to seat her loosened asshole on his cock, which was already as thick as before. Her cum slick bowels had given up resisting during her first anal rape, and they stretched open for his shaft with little complaint. Not until he was about halfway in, at least, and reached the point Levinson had. The next nine or ten inches of her rectum were still tight and virgin, and her husband's pace slowed down considerably as he fought to squeeze the remaining half of himself in.

Levinson had no forewarning to the attack. One second he was enjoying the sight of Jessica's well beaten ass cheeks sinking slowly onto her husband's grotesquely huge shaft, and then came the sound of pistol fire and hot pain in his back. The blond man stumbled forward and fell, twisting as he did to see Celeste standing in the doorway with gun drawn. He hit the ground hard, his body already feeling leaden and unresponsive. She'd put at least three bullets in him.

He didn't give her the chance to finish him off. Before he'd even hit the ground, he'd activated his fox marble. When she saw what was happening, the fae emptied the rest of her clip into him, but she was too slow. He rose as a fox, his injuries still serious but no longer life threatening, and becoming more manageable with each passing second. "Been waiting for you, bitch," he said with a snarl. "They were just the foreplay."

Celeste tossed aside her empty gun and drew a blade. She came at him with inhuman speed, every action precise and efficient, every attack designed to incapacitate or kill him if not checked perfectly. There was a calm grace to her every movement, as though they were part of a dance she'd practiced a thousand times over.

Levinson couldn't help barking a laugh. She was so slow! Compared to Akemi, Celeste moved like she was underwater, her attacks ponderous and telegraphed from a mile away. She was just another arrogant subhuman bitch who'd assumed her supernatural abilities rendered her untouchable. He was going to show her exactly how wrong that was. She might be slow and stupid, but the winter fae was as beautiful as any of her kind, and even in combat there was a sensuality to her that made his cock hard. He spared a glance at the Wilmingshires, who were frozen in place. "I told you to ruin her asshole," he snapped. George flinched and obeyed, driving more of his cock into his wife.

The winter fae kicked her heels off and lunged into the fight, and with a growl, Levinson met her.

**********

Celeste was growing frustrated.

Again and again, she stepped forward, the blade swinging in wide, cutting strokes... and each time, the fox was quicker. Each time, the red-furred monster was just half a step ahead, his tails leading her blade by just inches as they struck back at her like waving clubs, trying to find her, strike her, entangle her. The winter fae lunged for him, quick as a striking snake, and yet he managed to slither away from the steel fang in her hands regardless, coming around to bite at her ankles and forcing Celeste to leap away. 

She was better than this, faster than this, and she knew why... it had been centuries since she had been in a real fight. The Bloomdyne family's days of fighting and dueling had both been behind it before her punishment had began. One master, two hundred and twelve years, forty six days, four hours, sixteen minutes, and thirty two seconds ago, had seen her practicing with a blade and forbidden her her practice... the danger and grace she presented that way had intimidated him. In master after master, mistress after mistress, no one had ever countermanded that order. No one even knew it existed, and no one had ever asked. Since that day, she had only needed to pick up a weapon a handful of times, and had never again been able to train with it.

She was faster than any human, gifted with natural grace and poise than few beings in this world, mortal or otherwise, could match. She was strong, tough, possessing nearly limitless stamina. She was skilled beyond measure with hundreds of years of experience and born aptitude for bladework... but not even Celeste was immune to the passage of time. 

Her edge was dull. 

Levinson followed her through the leap, three tails sinking deep into the wall and using it as leverage to launch himself at her like an arrow from a bow. Too fast to dodge, too fast to react. A counter-attack was the only option. She planted one foot and swung around, sword cutting, and she felt it bite into the fur of two tails, the red coat resisting the edge far more than any animal's would before she felt the blade cut flesh... but she paid for it. Levinson's jaws closed around one thigh, and Celeste let out a grunt of pain as she felt her skin pierced by dozens of teeth.

The frenzied fox began shaking her like a ragdoll, and Celeste whipped first one way then the other, off balance, vulnerable... feeling her skin tearing in his jaws. She lacked the balance for a more graceful counter, so instead, Celeste simply rammed her free hand into the side of his head, once, twice, three times, until she heard something break and a yelp escaped his bloody maw. Then she was tossed through the air, into the drywall... and right through it, emerging out into the hallway. 

Celeste stood up, backing away from the hole in the wall. Her pants had been shredded, and pulled at her strangely... she grabbed the torn fabric and ripped it clean off her, exposing one leg and revealing the bloody but uninjured skin beneath it. She kicked it away just as the red-furred fox crashed through the wall after her. 

Blood dripping from the fur of two of his tails, but the cuts themselves had vanished... even the dent she had put in his skull was gone. It had been centuries since she had fought such a creature, but she remembered how they worked... Neither she nor Levinson would be easy to inflict a lasting injury on. Only a nearly instantly lethal wound would be sufficient to kill the kitsune, and Ginger had made it gruesomely clear earlier today what the consequences could be of a less than perfect sword strike.

The head. Right through the throat, and sever the head. 

Levinson rushed her, but Celeste stood her ground, bringing the sword to a high guard. His teeth and claws would find no purchase on her, not in the amount of time he had left to live... she was certain of that. Even as Levinson crashed into her like a locomotive, and Celeste felt multiple ribs break and agony flash through her collarbone, she slashed down regardless. 

The resistance was extreme. Agony flooded through Celeste, but she fought to bathe in the numbing chill of Winter, keeping her focus of driving the sword through that bastard's neck. Levinson snarled and his tails beat at her, and she held up her left hand to protect her face and her right. She heard it snap several times, but she just winced and held it up further, determined. Levinson spat and hissed and thrashed away from her, but she held onto the sword with all her might, and while he could back up away from her, he couldn't dislodge the blade from within him, couldn't get her to leg go, and so she was just dragged with him. Levinson whimpered and spat and finally drove himself up against the ceiling hard enough that the sword snapped off inside of him before cutting further, finally forcing Celeste free, and she dropped... down past the floor that wasn't there and back to the first story, where she landed with a further crack of a broken bone in her ankle.

The sidhe woman dropped to the floor, feeling her bones snapping back into place, feeling the pain slowly fade away and then vanish entirely. Their struggle had taken them through another room and out of it, the powerful kitsune breaking through the drywall like it didn't exist. That, in Celeste's experience, matched the Paradisium perfectly... rich and elegant and beautiful, but only on the surface. Just one level down, and everything was as cheap and rotten as it could get.

Celeste stood, her bones back to normal, and wiped the blood out of her eyes from wounds that no longer existed. She wasn't armed anymore, but up above, the kitsune was still trying to get her sword out of his body. He was distracted.

He wasn't the first kitsune that Celeste had fought. Slowly, with the ponderous speed of opening a door long sealed shut, Celeste reached for Winter.

Cold flooded through her, and the remaining pain went numb as the power of season, the power of The Morrigan herself, flushed through her body. Pain of the body fled as the power entered her... but pain of the soul came with it instead. Memories of other times. Power she was no longer prepared to wield. Part of her wanted to simply find another weapon, to put the power down and not touch it again...

"You hurt my mistress," she hissed. What an odd statement. She had no attachment to her mistress, beyond her duty and the requirements of her oath. Still, she felt furious at this fox slaver, and if Winter was what it took to snuff out his flame, then so be it.

Celeste pushed the floodgates open, and Winter poured out.

**********

That fucking dark haired cunt.

The sword had broken inside of him, splintering into steel shards embedded in his flesh as he had knocked the faerie bitch away. He kept trying to grab the hilt and yank it out of him with his jaws, but it was too far up his neck. It took him long seconds of trying to bite at it before he thought to grab it with a tail. After he yanked it out, he could feel the blissful pain as his body began to knit back together, pushing the metal out.

When he was finished with her, he was going to embed the shards of a knife beneath that ice bitch's skin and see how she liked it.

By the time he was whole again, Celeste was standing in the center of the entryway, looking up at him as her skin began to frost over. Crystal of ice spread over her hands, her forearms, her neck, her hair. The temperature in the room was dropping by the second - already it made his breath show in the air. 

Levinson jumped down to the floor, intending to land in a graceful crouch like he had so many times... and landed in a heavy heap as his muscles failed him. Down here, it was stunningly cold... perhaps as much as twenty degrees colder than just on the second floor. Down here, the cold air felt like a wall pressing against him... like a thousands hands grabbing him and pulling him down. 

Inside him, he felt the glowing embers of his twin marbles burning like bonfires against the cold, flickering and stuttering like a candle in the wind as the cold blew over him, again and again. He reached for that fire, fanning the flames with his hatred, feeling the power surging into him, fighting against the cold, pushing against it while the fire flickered...

The weaker of the two went out.

Levinson would have widened his eyes, but his eyelids were frozen in place, locked by ice forming in the corners of his eyes. The cold seemed to reach inside him, grab at the marbles in his core, and squeeze...

He snarled, his tails flailing as he heard ice crack and shatter around them, breaking the cold of the chill that tried to hold him in place. Hate gave him power as his will squeezed the marble like he was trying to drain it dry, pushing ever more power out from the stolen treasure he had won... and he reached back and threw the hilt of the broken sword at Celeste.

Every movement of his, every single twitch of his muscles, warred with the cold that seemed to have become a single, solid barrier... but that barrier didn't seem to touch the hilt once it left his hand, flying at Celeste like a bullet from a gun. He hoped the jagged edge of the blade would stab into her, but the frozen field of stasis surrounding him made him move awkwardly and the throw barely even hit her. The flat of the broken blade slapped against her right arm...

And a blinding flash of light filled the room. Levinson gasped in pain, the ice on him making his eyes slow to close. The flash was brighter than a phosphorus flare, and it burned an imprint in the exact shape of the sword blade in his vision. Celeste screamed.

And the cold abruptly lessened. He could move again.

Levinson shook his head and growled in fury, a subharmonic vibration that shook the ice free of the ground around him. 

Iron.

So the faerie cunt wanted to play?

Celeste had fallen to one knee was was slowly rising back up again, an obvious burn blistered across her arm. Levinson didn't let her stand. All nine of his tails flashed behind him, grabbing onto the bannister on the stairs - the wrought iron bannister - and heaving. Plaster and drywall cracked as he ripping it free, and with an enraged howl he threw it at the kneeling bitch. 

She tried to get out of the way as it flew for her... but it was far, far too big. This time, Levinson closed his eyes before the flash... but his fox lips curled back to show all his teeth as her scream and the sound of sizzling meat filled the room.

He didn't waste any time. He'd hurt the bitch, and knocked her flat on her ass, but she'd be back up again any second. He bounded towards her, and at the same time scooped the broken hilt up off the floor with a tail. Celeste's scream was still echoing off the walls as he whipped the tail around in a wide arc that ended with the blade coming straight down.

There was another brilliant flash of light when the broken edge met her stomach, accompanied by a scream that no longer sounded like anything human. The ice cunt writhed on the floor as her flesh sizzled, and her hands pawed at the hilt protruding from her. He'd driven it completely through her, out her back and into the floor beneath her, nailing the bitch down with it.

His tails batted her hands away and pinned her limbs down. She struggled against him, but there was no supernatural strength behind her anymore, not with that iron inside her. She was just another weak, feeble woman.

And a beautiful one too, like every other fae slut he'd ever known. He ripped away what little was left of her clothing with his teeth, exposing smooth, ivory white skin that was cool to the touch. The sight of her soft flesh roused his hunger, but it stirred something even stronger inside him as well. He'd never fucked someone while he was in this fox form, but it was exactly what this bitch deserved.

Celeste was putting on a brave face, but Levinson caught the slight widening of her eyes when she beheld his cock. It was a minute expression, but for someone as stoic as winter fae, it was the equivalent of gibbering with fear. He'd never had a reason to be ashamed of his equipment when he was human, but what was stiffening between his legs right now had more in common with his arm than his cock when it came to length and girth.

He forced her legs apart with his tails and examined her slit. It was a well trimmed, pristine looking fuckhole that appeared far too small to accept his fist sized cockhead. But he wasn't going to let the size difference stop him from giving the bitch what she deserved, even if it meant ripping her in half.

Celeste squirmed like a pinned butterfly beneath the sword, her pale stomach stained red with blood. The sound of her flesh sizzling hadn't stopped, and his nose had begun to pick up the enticing scent of cooked meat. He would find out how she tasted soon, but not until the slut drained his balls.

Her pussy lips were as soft and smooth as silk against his head, and though they exuded the same chill as the rest of her body, he could sense warmth just beyond. He rubbed himself up and down against her, enjoying the feel of them. The way they gently stroked him on each pass was better than any handjob he'd ever received, and precum was already leaking from his tip when he began pushing into her, seeking that warmth.

Her body resisted his advance, clamping down on him to halt his progress. She was as tight as she looked, and not all of her strength had been sapped by the iron blade. An ordinary human would have actually been unable to proceed. Her cunt muscles were powerful to a degree that went beyond pleasure, and he could understand now why fae were often associated with the myth of vagina dentata. At her full strength, she could have torn a man's cock off as easily as if she'd had teeth down there.

But she wasn't at full strength, and he wasn't ordinary. His prick was as hard as steel as he forced it deeper into her, and her clenching only made it more painful for her as he tore through her defenses. He stared into her eyes as he rammed himself into her, and was rewarded with a brief flicker of despair before she could smooth out her expression. She might act tough, but there was a cringing fucktoy lurking behind that facade.

Her insides were as hot as any other slut's, and it made an excellent contrast to her chilled skin. The walls of her pussy possessed the same silky smoothness as her lips, and combined with her tightness created a warm, wonderful glove for his cock.

Half of himself was still outside her when he reached her cervix. He let her squirm on his dick for a minute, enjoying the way he could feel every movement through the enveloping folds of her pussy. Slowly, almost gently, he wrapped two of his tails around her pale throat, his eyes still fixed on hers. They were an inhuman pair of eyes, deep green with swirls of darkness that shifted in the light, eyes that spoke of wisdom and winter and a being that was already walking the Earth when his kind had still lived in caves. But there was an all too human fear in them that she could no longer hide. The winter fae looked up at him, and though her expression remained as placid as a frozen lake, her eyes pleaded for mercy.

Levinson spat into those eyes and began to fuck her.

His cock drilled in and out of her with all the force of a frenzied stabbing while he throttled her with his tails and bounced her head against the floor. He manhandled her slender form like a dog with a chew toy, making her buck and writhe beneath him as he took her. When his knot entered her, spreading her pussy lips as wide as a woman in labor, her soft silky cunt gave up all attempts at resistance and clung to him helplessly instead, submitting to his violent intrusion.

Her ivory white face took on a reddish hue as time ticked by without him releasing her throat. She could easily die like this, and he found that he didn't care. What mattered was fucking this tight winter cunt while her oxygen starved body convulsed and squirmed around him like every other suffocating bitch, and if she didn't survive, so what? She wasn't going to leave here alive anyway.

Her malachite eyes had rolled back into her head and her lips were flecked with spittle by the time the slut managed to wring out his cum. He let go of her neck and howled in pleasure as thick jets of cum gushed into the pussy he'd broken in. His ejaculation went on for a full minute, and he spent it enjoying the look of misery on her face. He hadn't tamed the frigid cunt - that would take a lot more than just a fuck or two - but she understood that he was in charge now.

When his stream finally tapered off, he expected to find himself going soft, but to his pleasant surprise he was still rock hard. Her cunt was still soft and tight, so he eagerly resumed fucking it. Her insides were a warm paradise for his cock, but no physical pleasure could top the tiny flinch she gave when his tails coiled around her neck again. It was almost a shame he had to kill her; she had all the earmarks of an excellent fucktoy once she'd learned her place.

Soon his cum was spurting into her ravaged body a second time in a climax as long and powerful as the first, and again it left him as rock hard as when he'd started. The truth dawned on him, and he laughed in Celeste's face as he settled into pounding her sleek, slimy twat for a third time. It was his regeneration, the same quality that had made the fox slut such a perfect fucktoy. It didn't just apply to healing wounds; his libido would be tireless in this form. He could rape the ice cunt into next week if he wanted.

By the time he'd emptied his fourth load into Celeste, her cunt had become a gooey, oozing river of cum. The exhausted winter fae barely moved a muscle anymore, the shallow rise and fall of her chest the only sign that he hadn't fucked her to death yet. Even her pussy muscles had gone slack, and passively accepted the constant battering of his prick.

Despite her filthy state and lack of reaction, she still felt good to fuck, and Levinson could have kept going like that, but he had something else in mind. Her eyes flickered with renewed energy when he pulled out of her and, for the first time in nearly two hours, didn't shove himself right back in.

"Look at the mess you've made of my cock, slut," he said , crouching over her head to show her. It was covered in sperm and pussy juice, and both dripped down onto her face. "If I stuck this in your whore mouth, would you bite me?"

"Yes," she answered promptly. There was no threat behind her words. She was simply stating a fact.

"If you try to bite, bitch, you'll probably just break your teeth. More important, if I feel a single tooth, I'm going to grab that iron bannister and facefuck you with it. And now that you know that, I'll ask again: will you bite me if I stuff my cock down your throat and use your face as a fleshlight?"

Her response came slower this time. "...no," she said begrudgingly, unable to lie.

That was all he needed to hear. He grabbed her neck with his tails again, and pulled, bringing her mouth up to his crotch. Levinson felt her shudder with revulsion as his slime covered prick passed between her lips and slid over her tongue on its way to its new home.

Her throat was slender, and made for an even tighter passageway than her cunt had ever been, but with all the cum lubricant he easily buried his entire length into her. He ground her face slowly against his crotch to get those last few millimeters in, enjoying how she couldn't help trying to get away despite knowing it was impossible. Strip away the bullshit and she was just another squealing bitch.

Even after four loads, Levinson's cock was aching for release like he'd been blue balled for days. He used his tail grip around her neck to start bouncing her head off of him. Her face was nothing but another wet twat as far as he was concerned, and he treated it like one, slamming his hips against those inhumanly beautiful features. Her smooth ivory white cheeks grew red and abraded as his coarse fur scraped them like sandpaper. The swirling malachite of her pupils were offset by dark purple bruises around her eye sockets. Her full lips bled where his girth had made them split, blood and drool dribbling down her chin along with his cum.

Celeste didn't look like an ancient, dignified, impossibly perfect winter fae by the time he spurted down her throat. She was just another sloppy, well used fucktoy, and the anguish in her eyes told him that she knew it as well as he did. "Do you want my cock out of your gullet, bitch?" he asked her. Her mouth was too stuffed to make a sound, but she nodded slightly. "Then clean your mess like a proper whore. Leave nothing but spit on my shaft."

She was a stubborn bitch, he gave her that. He'd fed her cum twice more and was halfway to a third before her tongue stirred. Her movements held none of the grace she'd shown before; the ice slut didn't have much experience as a cocksucker. She clumsily lapped at his shaft as he sent another batch of warm cum into her stomach. It took another load before she accepted that she was going to have to suck too if she wanted him gone. He felt her sticky lips tighten on him, and suddenly it was like he'd stuck his cock in a vacuum.

He slammed his crotch against her face a final time and held her there, her mouth bulging with his knot, and let the ice slut learn her new trade. Her hungry throat worked his shaft, stripping every drop of filth off of it, until she'd wrung a fresh load out of him.

His libido was as strong as ever, but he let his cock pop out of her mouth, and rubbed his drool soaked cock against her features. His dick pulsed at the thought of trying out her ass next, but he dismissed the idea. It would be a difficult angle to reach while she was in this position, and he wasn't going to risk moving her. He'd taught her a good lesson about her true place in the world, but the bitch would still fight back the moment the sword slipped out of her.

It was time to kill her.

Her stomach wound wouldn't do the trick on its own. Fae didn't have the same recovery powers as foxes, but they were still hardy enough that it was nearly impossible for them to bleed out. Killing them required dealing out severe damage in short order. By devouring them, for example.

"Any last words, slut?" he asked her. He didn't care what they were. He just wanted to drive her fate home for her. If he could make her mask crumble completely, get her to beg for her life while he ate her, that would taste even sweeter than her flesh.

For the first time all night, she disappointed him. Her expression became something steely and frigid instead, and her eyes glittered. "I will pass from this realm with honor, a concept that someone like you could never understand."

"Honor?" he spat, annoyed by her show of defiance. "There's no honor in dying as my overused cum dump. You'll pass from this realm basted with my semen."

"I am not yours," she said calmly. "I have kept to my service, and paid all of my debts."

He almost started feasting on her that instant, infuriated by her disrespect, but an idea brought him up short. Not his? He looked around the room, weighing his options. There was no way he could leave the bitch out of his sight, even for a few seconds. He'd have to take her with him, but how?

Levinson found a solution in the shards of iron scattered across the floor. The ice cunt gave her loudest scream yet when he shoved two of them through her nipples. He picked her up with his tails, bloody sword slipping from her abdomen, and wrapped one around her arms to bind them behind her and stop her from pulling her new piercings out. He realized that he could now rape that tight fae ass if he wanted, but he was going to give her a much more thorough kind of fucking first.

He had to laugh when he made it back to the upstairs bedroom, dragging Celeste behind him. He'd entirely forgotten about the last order he'd given George before the fae had attacked him, but the fat slob hadn't, nor had his wife.

Almost three hours had passed since then, and he was still raping his wife's ass. Jessica Wilmingshire sat in his lap, the skin of her stomach shiny and stretched tight as it bulged with cum. Even her belly button had popped out from the strain. Her entire front was covered in congealing greenish cum, and more of the stuff, so thick it was nearly gelatinous, was bubbling up from her mouth to spill down her chin in a constant stream.

Even as Levinson watched, her husband came again, his cock moving easily through the gaping wound that only barely resembled an asshole by now. As he twitched in climax, great fonts of cum began to spurt from his wife's mouth. She'd been packed with sperm all the way from one end to the other.

Once George's climax ended, the flow from out her mouth weakened, returning to that slow but persistent bubbling. Jessica's eyes were flat and hollow, and the only sign of life left in them was her nostrils flaring to draw breath in and out.

"I, I did what you asked, sir!" George blurted out, still not pausing the rape of his wife. His eyes were wide and terrified as he stared at the massive red fox in front of him. "Just like you wanted!"

"I can see that," Levinson told him brusquely. "Which one of you owns the fae bitch?" He held her up in the air for both of them to see, her body limp within his tails.

"That was hers, sir!" George said quickly. "I, I never liked that one!"

Levinson slapped Jessica's face with one of his tails to get her attention. "Is that true?" Her eyes slowly focused on him, and she coughed up more sperm.

"...yes..." she managed when the coughing subsided.

"Give her to me," Levinson ordered.

"I... can't..." Jessica said. The blonde cunt stared at him helplessly, knowing he wouldn't like that answer. "Passes through... family... can only... release contract... not transfer..."

He'd figured as much, but it was worth a shot. "So only your family can give her orders?" he asked again, looking for confirmation. She nodded timidly, already cringing in fear of his reaction.

George Wilmingshire screamed as Levinson pounced on him. His meat was fatty, tender, and delicious. Levinson devoured him eagerly, the experience almost as good as sex. The man's troll abilities did their best to keep up, but it took only about ten minutes for him to die. Another five before the vulpan's jaws crunched through the last bone.

The man had weighed at least four hundred pounds, but Levinson didn't feel full at all. If anything, his appetite had increased, and the scent of the two women had become even more intoxicating. Perhaps he wasn't completely immune to the marble's siren call after all, but that didn't matter.

Jessica had screamed along with George for the first few minutes, but eventually her voice had given out. She lay sprawled on the floor, weeping and covered in her husband's blood and cum, waiting for him to kill her too.

"Marry me," Levinson told her instead.

She sniffed and gave him a look of utter confusion, then recoiled as he slapped her with a tail again, this time hard enough to break her cheekbone. "Marry me," he repeated. "Now."

"O-o-okay," she stuttered, trembling. There was no sign whatsoever of the arrogant bitch who'd ripped him off last year. She was just a terrified young girl who knew that he was in charge now. "I, I, I'll marry you."

Levinson looked up at the bound fae, who had watched the murder in stony silence. "Is that enough to make you obey my orders now?"

Celeste's face twisted up with disgust, but she answered without hesitation. "Yes, master."

"Good." He looked back at Jessica. "Now give her an order. Tell her that from now on, and for the rest of her life, she is to obey only my orders, and no one else's."

The blonde woman nodded, then cleared her throat. Her next words came out in a rush. "I-release-you-from-ser-grrk!" One of his tails was coiled around her throat, cutting off the command.

"You stupid, fucking cunt," Levinson snarled. "I'm going to make you regret that moment for the rest of your life," He glanced at Celeste. "Did that work?"

"No," the fae said, her disappointment clear in her voice. "I am still in your family's service, master."

"Try again," Levinson told Jessica. "And if I hear one syllable out of place, I'll rip that asshole open wider than your ex husband could have ever dreamed." He loosened his tail, but left it in place, ready to cut her off again at a moment's notice.

"From now on," Jessica said miserably, not even daring to look at him, "and for the rest of your life, you will obey only his orders and no one else's."

He released Celeste then, letting her body fall to the floor with a whump. "Go pick up that iron bannister and bring it back to me," he ordered. She shuddered, but promptly rose and made her way downstairs. A few seconds later came the flash of light.

Her hands were covered in blisters when she returned and dropped it at his feet. "Get on your knees," he ordered next, "and fuck yourself as hard as you can with it."

Her shudder was more violent this time, and she actually looked back at him with disbelief as she lowered herself. But that didn't stop her from picking up the iron pole and shoving it deep into her pussy. She howled when it made contact, and the sound of her sizzling flesh was almost as loud.

Before she'd made it through three strokes, her cunt looked like charred meat. Her fingers shook with agony, and tears began to drip down her face, but she continued pumping at the same frenzied pace. Levinson enjoyed the sight for a few minutes before trotting up behind her and rubbing his shaft over her ass cheeks. "Have you ever done anal before.?"

"No master," she gasped as the thick pole slid in and out of her.

"Then tell me how you feel about me raping your virgin ass."

"I hate it," she said immediately. "It's obscene and humiliating and I know it will hurt terribly."

"Good," he told her. "Beg me to fuck it. And make it sexy. The more humiliating and degrading, the better."

Her asshole was her tightest hole yet, and she'd already hoovered up the cum lubrication she'd gotten for her throat. Half dried spit was all the lubricant she was going to receive this time. "Please fuck my virgin asshole, master," she said plaintively. "Please break it open with your thick cock. Give me your-" Her breath came out in a whuff as Levinson drove his prick into her tiny starfish.

Her asshole didn't give way for him. He didn't force it open, or wedge himself in. He simply smashed into her and through her, impaling her on his rock hard shaft where her asshole happened to be. It was a violent, bloody thrust that had far more in common with the moment he'd stabbed her in the stomach than it did with sex.

Her guts were a hot, writhing vise around him. Celeste was shrieking in agony now, not a hint of stoicism left in her sexy, abused body. "Keep begging for my cum!" He ordered as he forced more of himself into her. "And don't stop until I finish!"

"Please rape my ass!" she howled, the iron bannister a blur as she ramrodded herself with it. "Bury your fat prick in my guts, master! Please hose my insides down with hot, sticky semen, just like you did my pussy and mouth! Use me as a filthy, slutty cum receptacle!" He could hear the utter shame in her as she repeated the obscenities. She'd probably rather die than utter words like that voluntarily, but centuries of people like the Wilmingshires and places like the Paradisium had given her the vocabulary regardless.

"Fuck me with your ass!" he demanded, and the winter fae made a sound of pure despair as her body began to move as if of its own volition, her ass cheeks slapping against his hips as she sodomized herself on his cock.

"And you," he told Jessica, who was watching from the side, mouth agape at the brutality on display. "Get over here! Put your ass on her face!" The blonde blanched, but scrambled forward on all fours to position herself. "Now suck that cum out of her butt, ice slut! And don't you dare stop that begging!"

Celeste put her face between her former mistress's ass cheeks and began noisily sucking sperm from the ruined hole between entreaties. "You're packing my *slurp* narrow asshole with your meat, *slurp* master! Trying to stretch *slurp* and destroy it until *slurp* it's too loose to pleasure any *slurp* cock smaller than yours! Master wants me *slurp* to be his sexy fae butt slut! *slurp* I'll never let anyone else *slurp* pleasure themselves with my guts *slurp* the way you're doing now!"

The way her body quivered with agony from her brutal double fucking. The self loathing in her voice and the obscene wet noises as she degraded herself for him. Her warm, pulsing guts massaging his cock. All of it together was too much, and Levinson roared as cum erupted from his cock to paint the ice slut's insides.

It felt incredible. So incredible that he couldn't wait to do it again. So he didn't. He pounded her ass a second time, a third, a fourth. Sometimes he made Jessica suck his balls while he raped her former bodyguard, or swap spit and cum in a long and heavy make out session between the two girls. Occasionally he switched holes, refamiliarizing himself with her cunt and mouth. Celeste ass fucked herself with the bannister, deepthroated it, even titfucked it while he sat on her face and force fed her his prick.

He'd been raping the two women for five hours when Jessica finally passed out from either exhaustion or blood loss. Levinson would have just let her die, but when he remembered her attempt to keep him from getting Celeste, he decided she hadn't suffered enough yet. So he reluctantly stopped his assault to bandage her wounds and make her drink some water. She was still a half dead, fucked out slut when he was done, but she'd live long enough for him to bring her back home.

"Clean up this entire mess," he told Celeste after he'd gotten Jessica packed away in one of her own suitcases. The fae was stark naked and covered in bodily fluids and bruises. She was trying to hold onto her usual stoicism, but she was far too tired and scared to hide the horror in her eyes. "Leave no evidence of the attack or my presence. When you're sure that you've wiped out every trace, torch the building and meet me at the rendezvous point. Unless explicitly ordered otherwise, you are to act in my best interests and do nothing that would draw suspicion about me, yourself, or the Wilmingshires." He thought for a moment. "If you ever find yourself tempted to do something you know I wouldn't like, you will refrain and tell me about it."

"Yes, master," she replied. And then, reluctantly, "Because of my failure to perform my duties as a bodyguard and my wish to remove myself from your service, I was going to remain in the building while it burned."

He smirked at her, then picked the bannister up with his tails and used his jaws to break three pieces off of it, each the size of a forearm. "As punishment, you will perform the cleanup tonight with your three new dildos inside of you, and bring them back with you. And keep track of how many times you have a negative thought about me or your new position. When I see you again, you'll tell me that number so I know how many times to whip you."

"Yes, master..."

Levinson hefted the suitcase containing his newest fucktoy. He'd been so busy fucking his two pets that he'd forgotten to question them about the fox cunt. But that was fine.

Now that they belonged to him, he'd have all the time in the world to get that information from them.


	13. A Tangled Web

"Here we are folks," Emmeck said. "At the beginning of the end. Today we find out who the finalists will be for this year's exciting competition! But hold onto your hats, because before we get there we have another round to finish, and this one is gonna be a doozy!"

Seo-yun was only half listening to the announcer ramble in her ear as the elevator ascended. Watching Qarinah's fate in the auction had dampened everyone's spirits, and when it was over, they'd barely exchanged any words before bed. Betty had been too depressed to make breakfast like she had yesterday, and even Crikey had been somber as they prepared for a new day of horrors. But Seo-yun had a mission now. It was no longer enough to just keep going; she was going to rescue Samantha. Even if she had to drag that pigheaded woman out of the Paradisium kicking and screaming...

"I'm afraid I can't describe today's arena to everyone," said Emmeck, "because even **I** don't know what it looks like. We started with a wide open space, a magnificent empty canvas, and left decisions like that..." He finished the sentence in an ominous, melodramatic tone."...up to **them**."

The elevator doors opened, revealing a world of soft whites and grays. There was no artificial sky to be seen, no illusion of being aboveground. The stone ceiling was a short distance above them, stark and unadorned save for lights shining down. The only other thing visible in the arena was cobwebs. Massive cobwebs, forming floors and slopes and cliffs to make up an uneven landscape of hills and valleys. Seo-yun's sensitive ears picked up the sounds of quiet chittering, and she caught dark things moving in the distance.

"One hundred of the largest spiders in the world," the announcer said with morbid glee. "Released in here a month ago and given free range of the place. I have some good news and bad news for our contestants today. The good news is that all one hundred are female! Not a single man is gonna bother you sassy sisters today! The bad news..." he told them sardonically, "is that every one of those eight legged gals down there is just bursting with eggs to plant. All of them are looking for something warm and soft that they can wrap up like a Christmas present and stuff like a Thanksgiving turkey. At least one of our contestants is destined to become both egg sac and breakfast for hundreds of adorable little baby spiders. I don't know about you, folks, but I can't wait to find out who those lucky ladies will be."

Seo-yun felt sick to her stomach listening to him gleefully describe the fate of today's losers. She'd never cared much about spiders one way or another, but the gruesome outcome that he seemed so eager to see was horrifying. She'd heard enough talk of the past games by now to know that Belle was far from the first person to die down here, but she'd thought that the deaths were usually the result of violence between contestants, or the Paradisium being careless about safety. This was different. The game's creators had known full well that they were sentencing one or more women to death when they devised this arena.

She looked at the other women. Unless something happened, at least one of the six of them was going to die today. None of them deserved that, not even Snowflake.

"In order to keep things fair," the announcer said, and Seo-yun could hear the smirk on his face clear as day, "our contestants have been left blind from now on. With so few of them left, they or their intrepid handlers might be tempted to give into their baser natures and make this event unsporting by trying to spy on each other. So to keep this venerable competition of ours fair and honorable, they will no longer be privy to my running commentary of the round. Oh, but don't worry, my wonderful audience: none of you will be denied my dulcet tones!"

One of the cobwebs was just under the elevator, gently sloping downward to meet several other webs going in various directions. It wasn't solid ground at all, just a patchwork of thick ropy strands of webbing. They were spaced closely enough that it would be difficult to fall through the gaps, but not impossible. Seo-yun looked into one of the gaps, trying to see what was below them, but saw only darkness. She couldn't even judge how far down it went. The floor could have been twenty feet below them or two thousand. Most of the women in the elevator seemed in no hurry to discover if the webs would truly support their weight, except for Vorona, who dodged the issue by taking off into the air, and Samantha, who immediately ran along one of the ropes. It swayed and bobbed, but held. For now.

"Wait!" Seo-yun called. Vorona didn't pause in her flight. She didn't actually expect the redhead to stop either, but to her surprise she did, looking back at her over her shoulder. "We, we should all stick together!"

Samantha wasn't too far away to miss her rolling her eyes. "This is a **competition** , Yip Yip, not a tea party."

"That's what I'm saying," Seo-yun protested. "This is just a game! The other three rounds were bad, but at least they weren't lethal. If we work together, maybe we'll be able to protect the women who are eliminated, carry them back with us before anything terrible happens. But if we don't put this stupid game aside and watch out for each other, some of us are going to die today!"

  
"Yeah," Samantha said flatly, "but I won't be one of them." She set off running again. Seo-yun sighed in frustration.

"I think you're right, meow," said Betty softly. "I do not wish to see anyone get hurt, meow." The cat eared girl offered her hand. "I propose we work together and share our points today, meow."

The fox took her hand gratefully. "Agreed," she said.

Crikey clasped her hand over theirs. "Sounds good to me!" said the koala. "We'll be the three musketeers, yeah? This is gonna be **fun**!"

Even though there was plenty of space to walk around the trio, Snowflake chose to push through them roughly. "Perfect," the nogitsune said as she stepped onto the web. "Maybe if you ask your new playmates nicely, they'll put your cocoons side by side so you can gossip about boys while you wait to die."

"Why, you know any good ones?" asked Crikey. "Boys, that is. Don't think we're gonna need much help finding spiders!" She laughed.

Snowflake didn't bother replying, though the tails she was no longer bothering to hide flicked irritably. She bounded gracefully to another web, and then another, and was soon out of sight completely.

"At least it looks like they really will support our weight," Seo-yun said. She braved the webs herself, and found them smooth and slightly sticky. Not sticky enough to impede her movement, though, and the way it clung to her feet was actually somewhat reassuring; hopefully she wouldn't have to worry about slipping and falling. "Let's search for a few ribbons, and then try and find a safe space to wait out the rest of the day."

"Only a few?" Crikey asked. The koala and the cat joined her on the webs. "I don't think any of those three are gonna give up early, and they're not splitting points."

Seo-yun hesitated. "I will hold onto the least amount of ribbons, so if one of the three of us loses, it will be me. I'm... pretty sure I could survive the spiders if I had to." It would be unpleasant, to say the least, but her natural regeneration would probably keep her alive. As much as she wanted to help Samantha find a way out of here, she couldn't put the others' lives at risk in the process.

"No," said the koala, in a surprisingly firm of voice. "I'll take the fewest. Your heart's in the right place, Ginger, but you're too self-sacrificing by half, you know that? Sometimes you gotta let other people help ya out." She untied all of her ribbons and offered half to each woman. "Go on, take them."

"But, but you need those too!" Seo-yun said, and then gasped as Crikey opened her hand and let the ribbons fall. She quickly snatched them up before they could fall between the webs and be lost.

The dark haired girl grinned at her. "Good catch! Guess they're yours now!" Seo-yun stared helplessly at the bundle of ribbons she was holding, and then sighed and started tying them on. Betty had already done the same with hers. "So... which way? My handler ain't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed."

"Mine is also unhelpful, meow," said the cat girl. "Right now he's guessing how many spider eggs will fit inside me, meow... and trying to calculate it on a napkin, meow. He's hoping they'll exceed one thousand, meow."

"I'll ask Celeste," Seo-yun said. She pointed in several directions, her usual signal to ask which way to travel. There was no answer, and only then did she realize that she hadn't heard the woman at all yet today. She repeated the gesture with some urgency. Over the last few days, she'd come to rely on the Wilmingshire's servant for guidance and support. She was even starting to believe the woman thought of her as more than just a fox-eared fucktoy. She wouldn't have just abandoned Seo-yun, right? Right?

Seo-yun felt a sudden wave of dizziness that almost made her legs buckle, and Betty grabbed her shoulder to help steady her. Her physical condition seemed to be stabilizing, and she didn't think she was in danger of dying anymore, but it was a fragile peace. Right now she and Morris were relatively in sync, but if her emotional state become unstable, they'd start coming into involuntary conflict again. Like it or not, she couldn't let herself give in to despair anymore.

"I... I don't think she can help us right now," she told the others. "We're on our own." She looked up at the ceiling, as though she might be able to see past it and find the woman. There had to be a good reason she wasn't responding. Seo-yun would try and trust in her.

"Then we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way," said Crikey cheerfully. "Pick a direction and start walking. Onward!"

There was something profoundly disturbing about the land of spiderwebs that they walked through. There were no landmarks, no points of interest, just endless slopes. Even the cave tunnels from three days ago hadn't felt as dead and dreary. They had been made to seem random, but they were still ultimately man-made and had a sense of pattern and purpose to their layout. The webs just shifted randomly, from hill to valley to wall with no rhyme or reason. And always below them was that inky darkness ready to swallow them up if they fell. Not all the strands that they walked on were as close as others, and sometimes they had to carefully traverse wide gaps between them.

As nice as it sounded to not be forced to listen to Emmeck's mocking commentary all day long, the fox still felt its absence acutely. The arena was more dangerous than ever, and if anything happened to someone, there was no chance of someone else finding out and coming to the rescue. She reminded herself that Samantha had been doing this for years, and would know how to take care of herself, but the assurances felt meaningless. The woman only had to make a single mistake, and Seo-yun wouldn't know about it until it was too late.

Seo-yun had chosen the quietest direction to travel in - one fairly close to the way Sam and had gone and not at all close to Snowflake's trajectory - but she could still hear chittering all around them. The creators of these webs were hunting for them. She had them change direction repeatedly, always moving away from the closest spiders, but the distance between them and the unseen predators grew steadily shorter.

"So just what's going on with you and the firebird?" Crikey whispered as they scaled a slope steep enough to make them crawl on all fours. "You two an item now or something?"

"A what?" Seo-yun asked at the same quiet volume. The koala made a circle with her fingers and pumped her index finger in and out of it a few times. Seo-yun looked at the movement blankly for a second, then realized the meaning and blushed. "N-no, it's not like that!" she said quickly. "We're just..." She tried to think of the right way to describe it. She had a feeling that she shouldn't blurt out that she had the woman's dead husband's soul inside her. It was the sort of conversation that she was in no hurry to have with anyone. "I'm her friend. Well, I want to be her friend, if she'll let me."

"Friend, huh? I'd tell you to watch your back because Ember's killed a whole bunch of her friends in these games, but she's already tried to kill you, so..." Crikey shrugged. "I guess that warning is kinda redundant now."

Seo-yun knew she should probably be more upset about Ember's attempts to kill her yesterday, but the woman hadn't behaved like someone just trying to win or kill for pleasure. The fox had seen cornered animals before and recognized the behavior: whatever Sam's circumstances were, she'd been fighting to survive. And Seo-yun been lucky to meet people like Delphyne and Qarinah who had shown her kindness and made her feel like more than just a plaything. She imagined what it would be like to have more people like Snowflake around instead. If those were the sort of "friends" that Sam had known in previous years, she couldn't blame the woman for being so certain that Seo-yun couldn't be trusted. After all, Seo-yun herself had been unable to trust Morris when the time came. She was in no position to judge.

They didn't see the spider until it was too late. Its black exterior blended in with the darkness between the webs, and while it was huddled, it looked like just another big gap. But when they got close, it came to life, shifting to spit webbing at them. The white wad was bigger than they were, and Seo-yun only barely dodged it in time. Betty wasn't so lucky, and ended up plastered to the webbed floor. Before Seo-yun could even think about helping her get free, the monster unfolded itself and came at them.

It was large, more than nine feet in height with thin, bristly legs that moved with disturbing grace across the web as it closed the distance. Its body was black and shiny and looked tough, as though it was more metallic than flesh. It felt more like metal too when Seo-yun intercepted it, grabbing two front legs, one of which had a black ribbon tied to it. Its jaws swung open and shut, and a gray liquid dribbled from them. Something about it itched at the fox's mind, but she didn't have time to think hard about it.

She was relieved to feel the same power that had saved her yesterday flowing through her again. She wouldn't be able to use it for very long, but right now it was saving all three of their lives. She struggled with the spider, managing to halt its movement despite its far greater mass. It spat more webbing at her, forcing her to jump away to avoid it. She didn't know if she'd be strong enough to escape the webbing if it hit, and she didn't want to have to find out. The creature used the opening to skitter towards Betty, intent on the prone and helpless girl.

Seo-yun sprang at it again, this time seizing hold of its back legs to avoid the dangerous spit. The spider bucked as she dragged it backwards away from the cat girl, twisting and fighting against her. Again there was a wrongness to it somehow, and the fox felt a moment of panic despite winning the test of power so far. Her hunter instincts were screaming that she was in danger, and she didn't know why and couldn't spare the focus for it. Each of the thing's legs had three claws on the end, and they were all snapping and grabbing at her. She tightened her grip on the spider's limbs, pouring all of her power into it, and heard a satisfying pair of crunches as they broke in two.

The beast went into a wild frenzy then, and one of its claws latched onto her side. The supernatural toughness that had stopped Samantha's blade wasn't strong enough to stop the claw from sinking into her skin. It ripped out a chunk of her flesh, and Seo-yun felt hot blood run down her leg. More came at her but she batted them away with her tails and rolled forward, directly beneath the creature. This put her in range of all its remaining legs, and more claws began gouging out pieces of her, far too many to catch with just four tails. She endured the pain and smashed her fists against the spider's underside, longing for her old fangs and claws. The hard dorsal carapace dented at the first three impacts,and broke open upon the fourth. Black, slimy eggs rained down on her as she reached up, penetrating the ovaries and intestines to find the creature's heart. She yanked it out, making the spider convulse and screech. More alarm bells went off in her head.

After a few more seconds of thrashing, the creature slumped to the side, its twitching limbs slowing until it let out a final death rattle. Seo-yun panted, all too aware that she was covered head to toe in its viscera. It smelled foul, and what had gotten into her mouth tasted worse. She spat it all out, feeling filthy and wretched but also triumphant. She'd managed to survive. Her strength and speed were still nowhere near what she'd had as a true gumiho, but to feel even a fraction of that power was wonderful.

Her slowly closing wounds itched fiercely, and she could feel an almost burning sensation in her veins. The creature must have possessed some kind of venom, but luckily her system was metabolizing it. She looked around for the others, anxious to see if they were okay. Betty was still prone on the ground, trapped by the webbing. Crikey was nowhere to be seen at first, but a moment later the koala swung up into the air and landed gracefully on her feet. She'd been dangling below the web to stay hidden.

The warm, sticky webbing came away from Betty as Seo-yun pulled on it, and the cat girl eagerly struggled out of it as soon as she could. "Th-thank you, meow," she said quietly as she stood up, still pulling bits of it off of her.

"That was pretty awesome," Crikey agreed as she untied the black ribbon from the corpse's leg. "One down, two to go, yeah? How much you think these kinda ribbons are worth anyway?"

"Eight points, meow," Betty said easily. The others looked at her and she shrugged. "Spiders, meow."

"Yeah, that's the Paradisium for you," Crikey said. "Buncha unoriginal bastards. Anyway, now that we know mommy longlegs got the ribbons and you can kill the things, maybe we should start hunting them instead of them hunting us, yeah?"

Seo-yun froze. The koala's words had made things click into place, and her blood ran cold as she finally realized what had been bothering her this whole time. They'd been hearing spiders chitter in the distance all morning, but until its screech at the end of the fight, the creature had made no noise. Which meant...

She held up a hand to signal the others to be quiet, and then turned slowly in place, trying not to make any sudden movements as she scanned the slopes around them. "We've been using the background noise to figure out the best path to take," she whispered. "The louder a direction, the more spiders must be over there." Her two companions nodded, and Seo-yun saw Betty stiffen as she realized what she was getting at.

Crikey glanced between the two of them. "Well, don't keep a girl in suspense," she said quietly. "What's up?"

"What if these spiders are more organized and intelligent than we assumed?" Seo-yun asked her. "What if they knew exactly what kind of effect making noise would have, and used it to drive their prey into a trap?"

The dark haired girl shrugged. "I mean sure, that would suck, but it was just one spider over here, right? Don't look much like a..." her voice trailed off as her eyes swept over their surroundings. "Oh."

Seo-yun knew that the koala was seeing the same thing she was. Now that she knew what to look for, the redhaired woman could see spiders dotting the landscape in every direction. There were dozens of them. Even the way that they had come from was covered in silent hunters now. They were completely surrounded.

**********

Nadia made three full sweeps over the arena before resigning herself to the truth: there were no open ribbons around. The only ones she'd seen were those tied to the spiders. Worse, these were natural beasts, not one of her father's twisted creations, so she had no experience dealing with them.

No half measures. Tanya had been very clear about that last night, and Nadia had learned the hard way to always obey her sister. It wasn't just because orders that came from Petrov's favorite daughter carried as much weight as orders from the man himself. Whenever the raven didn't do what her sister wanted, bad things inevitably happened. Tanya never liked it when people didn't do as she wanted.

It was still unnerving to see her sister playing the part of a slave while the others were around. She was one, technically, but the difference between her and Nadia was like night and day. Tanya ate with their father at every meal, kneeling at his side to be hand fed from his own plate. She spent her nights spooning with him in the bed they shared. She was allowed and encouraged to wear clothes, jewelry, and whatever else she liked, and she didn't have to give her body to anyone else or obey commands that she disliked. When she called herself a slave and their father her master, it was a lifestyle choice, not something being forced upon her, and given how readily their father indulged her every request, she sometimes seemed more in charge than he was.

Nadia, on the other hand, rarely ate anything but cum and nutritional supplements since her father had started using her for sex. She slept on cold, hard floors when she was good, and in a small, rusty cage when she wasn't. She couldn't even remember what it felt like to wear real clothes anymore, and she was used freely by everyone at Paragon who knew of her existence.

Their difference in status was nothing new, even if the sexual nature of it hadn't been around at first. Tanya had been the prodigal child since practically the moment she was born in Paragon's laboratory. They'd already been test subjects while they were still just embryos in the womb, their genes toyed with to try and create a superior model of human. There had been twenty three of them to start. All with Ilya as their biological father and all born within days of each other, with twenty two different women as their mothers; Nadia and Tanya had been twins. Their childhood was spent being taught, trained, and tested on a variety of subjects. By the time they were four, they could speak a half dozen languages fluently. By eight, they were studying fields like mathematics and chemistry on a college level. By eleven, they knew a variety of ways to take another sentient life, and had been forced to put those skills into practice more than once to prove that they were capable of it.

Not all of Ilya's children were equally adept. He, and by extension Paragon itself, demanded incredibly high standards from them. Anyone who fell short of those standards was culled quickly and mercilessly, as though they were no more than lab mice. They weren't the first group of children Paragon had tested, nor the last. In most groups, not a single test subject reached puberty . Of the twenty three children in their group, only Nadia and Tanya survived that far.

By Paragon's normal criteria, Nadia was an unqualified success, and if she hadn't been a twin, perhaps her natural aptitude would have earned her father's love. But Tanya was something altogether different, a genius who effortlessly surpassed her sister in everything. It didn't matter what area it was in; physically, mentally, and socially her twin was always and unequivocally her superior. Nadia had understood the vast gulf between first and second place long before she'd ever heard of the Paradisium. In their father's eyes, Tanya was a true miracle, a vindication of everything he'd been doing. And Nadia... wasn't. So while she had earned the right to survive, she did so bearing the weight of her father's disappointment and disapproval.

And then their eighteenth birthday had arrived. Ilya had come to visit their room, which he almost never did. There had been a stark difference between her sister's side of the room, which was decorated like a normal teenage girl's, and Nadia's spartan living conditions, but it had still been a space that she could call her own, with a bed and a wardrobe and a few items she'd picked up over the years, like a pressed flower one of the guards had given her as a present when she was six. Later that day, Tanya would claim the entire room for herself and have all of Nadia's things thrown away as trash.

Nadia had been lying on her bed studying at the time - even at that age, their homeschooling involved a backbreaking amount of work - and wearing clothes for the last time in her life: dark slacks, a gray blouse, and a white bra and panties. Like the rest of her clothing, they'd been purchased cheap and didn't fit right. Having to cut holes in her shirts to accommodate her grafted wings didn't help, but she never complained about that part. The ability to fly was the sole bright point in her life.

She hadn't bothered to look up or address her father when he came in. Even back then, she'd been the rebellious one. Not by choice; over the years Tanya had deliberately and relentlessly deepened the wedge between Nadia and their father, transforming his disappointment into outright hatred. Trying to be an obedient daughter didn't work when her sister would eagerly twist her every fault into a deliberate show of disrespect, and eventually the girl had accepted the outsider role Tanya had forced her into. It was easier for Nadia to deal with her father's rejection of her when she tried not to care about him, and easier to accept being seen as a complete failure when she never tried to do any better.

Physical discipline from Ilya was nothing new - it was a rare week where he didn't try to "beat the stupid out of her" at least once - but that day had been on a completely different level. Before saying a word, he'd grabbed her hair and dragged her off the bed and onto her feet. He'd kept one hand in her hair to keep her head up, and started slapping her with the other, smacking her head left and right. Tanya had giggled from where she watched on her side of the room. "I am now officially **done** with you, Nadia," he'd told her as he slapped her. "You're not fit to do anything but get fucked, so that's all you'll do from now on."

By the time he stopped slapping her, Nadia had been dizzy and her head pounded. She'd been too dazed and confused to offer any resistance when he pushed her face into the mattress and ripped off her blouse. When he leaned down and twisted one of her nipples through her bra, though, the sharp and sudden pain had roused her, and she'd bolted for the exit. Tanya had blocked the way, catching her sister in her arms. "Didn't you hear Father?" she'd asked sweetly as she deftly unclasped Nadia's bra. "You should be thanking him for finally finding a use for you."

Nadia had tried to squirm free of her sister's embrace, but she'd been easily bested. Tanya forced her arms behind her, tied her bra around her wrists, and then spun Nadia around and pushed her down onto her knees. She'd knelt as well, using her weight to pin Nadia's legs, then hooked her fingers into the sides of her sister's mouth to stretch it open while her elbows pressed against the back of her wings to keep them from being used to get away. "Father, may I please suck you with Nadia's mouth?" she pleaded, using her fingers to roll Nadia's head up and down and side to side. "We both know she'll do a terrible job if we let her do it herself, and you deserve so much better than a clumsy blowjob."

Ilya had chuckled. "I am blessed to have a daughter as considerate as you, Tanya," he'd said as he stripped out of his clothes. "How did I get so lucky?"

"Oh, I'm not really all that special, Father," Tanya had replied modestly. "It just looks that way in comparison to my trashbag of a sister. Isn't that right, trashbag?" She'd forcibly nodded Nadia's head up and down for her.

Nadia had never seen Ilya's cock before. In time she would know it better than her own face. It was thick and bumpy, with pulsing veins running down it. And it had tasted awful. Nadia had tried to twist away from it, but Tanya kept a tight grip and pumped her head back and forth on his cock, sliding him in and out of her mouth at a steady pace. "Does she feel good, Father?" Tanya had asked. "Is her wet mouth serving you like it should?"

"No, even with your help she can't manage to do anything right," Ilya complained. "Worthless cunt isn't using her tongue."  
  
"Oh dear" Tanya said innocently. "Maybe I can help." She'd slipped her right hand out of Nadia's mouth and grabbed hold of her left index finger instead. She'd bent it back sharply, and Nadia howled as her sister broke her finger. "Is she being a good fucktoy yet, Father? No?" This time it was her left middle finger that was brutally snapped in half. She'd gotten the picture by then, and quickly began slurping on their father's cock before her sister could move on to the next finger. "There!" Tanya said cheerfully when she saw Nadia frantically using her tongue. Her fingers went back in her sister's mouth, and she started thrusting Nadia's head back and forth again. "That should be much better. You just let me know if she starts getting lazy again, Father."

For the next ten minutes, Tanya had made her sister brutally facefuck herself on their father's dick. Drool leaked out around his shaft, and her face was bright red with shame and wet with tears. Tanya's fingers remained in her mouth to keep her from biting, but the idea had never actually occurred to her. Her mind had contained nothing but panic and terror and the desperate desire to convince her sister not to break any more of her fingers. " **This** is what your mouth is for," Tanya said warmly as she eagerly pumped Ilya's cock with Nadia's face. "Not for sharing the silly thoughts in your head. Not for breathing or drinking or eating. Nope! Your lips are for massaging Father's cock as you slide them across him. Your tongue is for providing Father with warm tingly pleasure when you use them on his shaft and balls. And your throat-" She'd rammed Nadia's head into Ilya's crotch as she spoke, and the raven could still acutely remember how she'd choked and gagged as the head of his cock breached her throat for the very first time -"is for squeezing Father tight until he's ready to feed you his cum!"

"Grk grk grk!" Nadia's first experience with deep throating had been horrifying. Neither Tanya nor Ilya had cared the slightest about whether or not she could breathe, or how painful his fat prick would be in her virgin throat. Tanya would happily push her all the way forward, grinding Nadia's face into their father's crotch, ignoring the way she retched and whimpered. She would remain like that, slowly suffocating to death on Ilya's cock, until Tanya decided to gift her another breath. Her head would be unceremoniously hauled back, and then shoved forward again just as quickly, and if she wasn't ready to snatch a breath in during that brief window, then she wouldn't get another chance until Tanya was feeling generous again. Multiple times Nadia passed out on Ilya's dick, only to wake with him still buried in her gullet.

The constant oxygen deprivation made her woozy,and it was getting difficult to focus or even keep her eyes open. "Don't close your eyes!" Tanya barked eventually, and Nadia shrieked as her left ring finger was snapped. "You're not here to zone out," Tanya told her as she sobbed in pain. "You're here to please Father. Look up at him, right into his eyes! Don't break eye contact. Do you see how happy he looks? That's because of you, Nadia. For the first time in your sorry life, Father isn't wishing you were never born. And you can do even better!" She'd started violently fucking Nadia's throat on Ilya then, yanking it back and slamming it forward over and over while her sister gurgled. "Make Father cum!" Tanya had demanded. "This is why he hasn't already killed you and dumped your worthless hide in the sewer. Because with enough training and discipline, even someone like you can become a half decent fucktoy."

Ilya's sperm was bitter and slimy. She'd despised the taste of it, and even though for the next seven years, semen was the closest she ever came to solid food, familiarity would never make it any easier on her palate. When the moment arrived, he'd pulled back to gush in her mouth instead, filling it to the brim with his white sticky seed. Every nerve in her body had begged her to spit the stuff out, but terror had made her swallow instead, and afterward Tanya had turned her around so she could inspect her sister's mouth with her fingers, checking that she'd downed every drop. "See that?" she'd asked once she was satisfied. "Without even being told. You were born to be a cocksucker, Nadia."  
  


She'd prayed that was the end of it, but their father had other ideas. He'd pulled her back to her bed, pushed her face down onto it, and then prepared to mount her with no foreplay at all. His cock had already been hard again, and her spit was all the lube he wanted for penetrating her virgin slit. "Please!" Nadia had begged while he tugged her pants and underwear down to expose her to him. "Please Father, don't! I'll suck your cock! I'll suck it every day! I'll be a good and obedient cocksucker for you, I promise!"

"Father, wait!" Tanya had cried out, and for a moment Nadia had thought her sister was actually going to intervene to help her. But instead she'd said "I wanna have fun tooooo" in a mock pout, and then rolled Nadia over onto her back and wings so she could sit on her face. She'd removed her own clothing at some point, and her pussy was hot and soaked as it smothered her sister's cries for mercy. "Mmmm, much better." She'd leaned forward, her breasts brushing Nadia's stomach, and pulled her sister's pussy lips apart with her hands, offering her virginity up to Ilya. "Do it, Father!" she'd urged. "Fuck this whiny cunt hard!"

Nadia's feet were kicking the air in a desperate attempt to save herself, but Ilya was not to be deterred. He grabbed her flailing ankles and forced her legs apart to get in between them. "I won't say you are about to become a woman," he'd told her as he lined himself up with the hole Tanya was showing him. "Because that would be an insult to women. No, you, you are just a cum dump." He'd thrust into her then, breaking through her hymen and stuffing his cock into her. As Nadia shrieked and her virginal blood had soaked her bed sheets, he'd shared a long kiss with Tanya. "I am so proud of you," he told her when they broke it off. His hands were kneading Nadia's breasts while Tanya's were still pinching and tugging on her pussy lips to make her squirm and clench on Ilya's cock. "You are truly your father's daughter."  
  
"Will you fuck me too after you're done with her?" Tanya asked eagerly. "My virgin pussy can't wait to welcome you home, Father!" She'd yanked out a tuft of Nadia's pubic hairs, and giggled when her sister's reaction made Ilya moan. "And I'll do such a better job than this lazy slut." She'd lowered her head and begun licking the top of his shaft while wiggling her crotch against her sister's face. "This is the other thing your mouth is for, Nadia. Don't worry about not being good at it: you'll be getting lots and **lots** of practice from now on. Even someone as stupid as you will become an expert at licking cunt eventually."

"Your first time will be later tonight," Ilya had told her. "I have already arranged a special dinner for just the two of us. Afterward we'll take a moonlit walk, and then retire to my bedroom to make love." Tanya had squealed with glee, bouncing up and down on Nadia's head while the hapless girl did her best to please her.

When Ilya was ready to cum, he'd twisted both of Nadia's nipples sharply. Tanya caught on to what he was doing and bit down hard on her clitoris. Nadia had screamed at the unexpected and intense pain in three different places at once, and within seconds her clenching cunt wrung the sperm out of her father. Neither of them released her until every last drop of him had dribbled out, and when they did she sagged down onto the bed, exhausted and broken.

"Father?" Tanya had asked sweetly. "Will you do me a biiiiiiiig favor?"  
  


"Anything you want, little one."

"Can I be the one to fuck Nadia's virgin ass? I already picked out a strap-on for it weeks ago, and I've been giddy about it ever since!"

Ilya had chuckled. "Of course you can!" The two of them had turned Nadia until her head and legs were hanging off the side of the bed, and then Tanya had gone to get her strap-on, a large ridged phallus. Too defeated to resist, Nadia had just lain there as her sister pushed her legs up into a jacknife position and jabbed at her asshole. While Tanya attacked her anus to get inside, their father had rested his soft cock on Nadia's face. It was even more disgusting than before with the addition of blood, cum, and pussy juice. "You got me dirty, bitch," he'd told her simply. "Clean it up." Nadia had reluctantly obeyed, running her tongue over his flesh to clean their fluids off of it.

She was still in the middle of cleaning when Tanya succeeded in skewering her asshole. Nadia's body had bucked wildly at the intrusion, but her sister was already too deep inside of her to get out. "You're going to love this hole, Father," Tanya had promised Ilya while she worked to force the remaining inches in. "All these years we thought Nadia had no talents at all, but we've finally found one: a tight asshole." She'd worked with quick and ruthless efficiency to bury her strap-on and then start fucking her sister with it.

On the other side of the bed, Ilya had started teaching her how to suck him. "Lick the balls, slut," he'd told her. "That's where your diet comes from now. Before long you'll be begging me to have more cum ready for you." He'd been correct; long before her nineteenth birthday came around, she'd developed a habit of sucking on his scrotum whenever he was soft, hoping for some momentary relief for her constantly starving stomach. At the time, she couldn't imagine ever wanting his cum, but she'd obeyed his orders anyway, slurping and tonguing his balls the way he wanted while Tanya pounded her asshole hard enough to make her entire body convulse with each thrust.

  
"Fuck me back," demanded Tanya. "Having a tight ass doesn't mean you don't have to use it." Nadia had weakly tried to obey, but it wasn't enough to satisfy her sister, and eventually she'd huffed out a sigh and looked up at Ilya. "Father," she said slowly, "now that Nadia is just our fucktoy, she doesn't really **need** wings, right?" She'd stroked the black wings pinned beneath Nadia. "I mean, I'm sure they must be very distracting, especially for such a stupid girl as her. Maybe if we had them removed she'd be able to focus better on the important things in her life, like helping her sister fuck her ass."

The threat had spurred Nadia into action, and she'd put everything she had into lifting her hips to meet her sister's thrusts, fucking her sore virgin asshole against Tanya's hard prick. The pain had grown exponentially but she'd kept at it. Nothing in the world could be worse than losing her wings.

"You might have a good point," Ilya had mused. "She doesn't seem as eager to lick my balls as a truly dedicated fucktoy would be. Ripping off those wings might be the only way to get her to stop being so lazy." Nadia had whimpered and redoubled her efforts with her tongue. She'd been a virgin less than an hour prior, and now she was enthusiastically assfucking her sister's strap-on while she lovingly sucked on her father's nuts. For a while, she'd been half convinced that she'd died and gone to hell.

Their rape of her had continued for hours. When their father was hard again, he'd tried out Nadia's ass for himself while Tanya made her lick the strap-on clean. After that it was back to tonguing his balls and cleaning his cock while Tanya raped her pussy, then taking her father in her pussy and Tanya in her ass at the same time, then tonguing his balls and cleaning his cock yet again while Tanya jackhammered her bleeding pussy. And on and on and on. At the time, she'd been certain it was the worst day of her life.

And she'd been right at the time. What she hadn't realized until later was that her eighteenth birthday had been, in the long term, utterly unremarkable. Every day of her life from then on had been just as bad or worse.

Nadia tried to shake off the memories. The past was the past, and she couldn't change it. What mattered now was Belle, the only person who'd ever really been kind to her. For her sake, she had to keep going. No half measures.

She broke off from her wide circle, tucked in her wings and streaked towards the closest spider. It tried to move out of the way when it realized Nadia's intention, but it was too slow. The raven smashed into it at full velocity, breaking three of the huge creature's legs and sending it stumbling backwards. She grabbed for the ribbon and yanked it off the spider's leg, taking a cut from one of its claws in the process. Prize in hand, she bolted away, knowing she was no match for one of these things up close.

She flapped her wings as she ran, eager to return to the safety of the skies, but her body felt strangely heavy and her wings didn't want to work right. Her legs tripped over themselves and she tumbled to the webbed ground, twitching erratically.

"Stupid bitch, " Ilya growled. "I **told** you those things were venomous! Their poison is already in your system now. If you try and fight back like that, it will just kill you."

Nadia heard the spider approaching behind her. Its legs scrabbled at her, turning her over onto her front, and then onto her back again. The raven didn't understand what it was doing until she felt the warm silk wrapped around her feet. It was wrapping her up!

Ilya laughed. "Even spiders know how worthless you are! This one doesn't think you're even worth sticking its eggs into, cunt, so it's going to eat you instead!" He laughed again. "It's not a bad idea, to be honest. You'll never amount to anything more important than spider food."

Nadia tried to scream, but even her vocal cords were paralyzed by now. She couldn't move, couldn't cry out, couldn't even... The spider took its time with her, rolling her around and around slowly and methodically to wrap her up. Occasionally one of its claws would nick her to inject a fresh dose of poison. The silk coffin grew up her legs, over her stomach and chest and wings, and finally went snugly around her head and mask.

Blind and bound, the raven felt herself being dragged along the ground. "There must be a nest somewhere," Ilya said, still sounding amused. "It's bringing you back home for lunch."

Nadia continued trying to scream as she was dragged away.

**********

Two hours later, Seo-yun and the others were still trapped. Any way they went would bring them closer to at least two or three more spiders. Seo-yun wasn't certain she could even take on one more, let alone multiple at the same time. Her body had healed the damage from the claws and the poison had worked its way out of her system, but the fight had still taken a lot out of her.

Worse, the stalemate was only growing more dire as time passed. More and more spiders were encircling them, and they were drawing closer. The creatures were smart enough to know when they were being observed, and would stay so still that you could almost believe they were a trick of the light. Until you took their eyes off them, and then the spiders would slowly advance, drawing the noose that much closer.

"I don't think we got much longer," Crikey said at last. She didn't bother lowering her voice anymore. "The buggers are eager. Some of them are barely trying to hide any more."

Betty nodded. "They are working as a pack for now, but we are not prey that they can share, meow. They all want to be the ones to catch us and..." she shuddered, "use us as incubators for their children, meow."

"Maybe we can use that against them," Seo-yun mused. "If they think we're about to get caught, some of them might get overeager and break formation, which would give us an opening to escape. It's not the best plan, but..."

"Better than just waiting here for them," Crikey said, and the other two nodded in agreement. "So who gets to be the pied piper here and convince a bunch of spiders to chase her?"

"Me," said Seo-yun immediately. "I'm the fastest of us, and fighting that one gave me a sense for how they move. As long as I can keep clear of their spit, I should be okay."

"What did I tell you about that self-sacrifice stuff?" Crikey said. "And I don't remember agreeing that you're the fastest. I'll do it." She pointed at a trio of spiders. "Those gals there are the antsiest. If I run riiiiiight near them, I don't think they'll be able to resist." Seo-yun tried to protest, but the koala was already moving. "Cooee!" she called out as she moved towards the closing ring of spiders. "Which one of you girls wants to get those eggs all up in here?"

Seo-yun watched with trepidation as nine spiders began to stir at Crikey's approach. There was nothing she could do now but trust in the woman and make the most of the chance she was creating for them.

The koala been right about the trio: they were the quickest to get moving. Two of them spat webbing at her, and then all three skittered towards her. Crikey dodged the spit easily, and Seo-yun had to admit the woman had been right about being faster too. She bounded across the sticky rope strands as though running through an open field, showing no fear or hesitation for the dark gaps between them.

"We must hurry, meow," Betty told her, heading for the opening the koala had created for them. "The sooner we get away, the sooner she can...". The cat paused. "Meow. What is she doing, meow?"

Seo-yun didn't understand it either. All nine spiders that Crikey had attracted the attention of were now actively chasing after her, which was part of the plan. What was not part of the plan was the direction the woman had taken. Instead of leading the creatures away from her companions, she was running directly towards Seo-yun and Betty, bringing the spiders with her.

"Run!" Seo-yun shouted at the cat, and Betty obeyed, sprinting towards escape. The fox joined her, but Crikey had already shifted her approach to intercept them.

The koala dashed right between the two women without slowing down. "Tag!" she said cheerfully. "You're it!" And then the spiders were on top of them.

Seo-yun dodged the first three blasts of webbing, but she was already hemmed in when the fourth came at her. She deflected it with her tails, leaving all four of them gummed together. The fifth shot came not at her, but at Betty, who had her back to the monsters and was still focused on running away as quickly as possible. Seo-yun reacted without thinking, jumping in the way to intercept the attack meant for her companion. It struck her dead center in the chest, and knocked her off her feet and flat on her back.

She ripped at the gooey mess plastering her, but before she'd made any real progress she was spat on twice more, burying her in sticky webs and gluing her arms to her torso. She was still trying to break free when one of the spiders crouched over her and penetrated her pussy with its ovipositor. The appendage had the same shiny black exterior as everything else, and felt unnatural and wrong as it slid into her: too hard for flesh, too warm for a dildo, and impossibly smooth. It was thinner than she would've expected, tapering down to a sharp point that jabbed at her insides. After a few thrusts, the ovipositor stabbed into her cervix, making the fox gasp as the tip penetrated the tiny opening.

Then Seo-yun cried out as the ovipositor abruptly swelled up, thickening across its entire length and forcing her cervix wide open. The first golfball-sized egg shot out of the tip, striking the back of her womb with the force of a sharp kick and making her scream. A single egg was enough to fill her delicate pocket, but the spider was only getting started. Another egg slammed into her womb as hard as the first had, forcing her sensitive space to stretch around it. More and more followed.

There seemed to be no end to it. When the spider could fit no more of its eggs in her bruised womb, it pulled back just enough to start filling her pussy instead. Seo-yun tried to scream again, but another spider was already descending on her to bury its own slender ovipositor down her throat. When the tip poked into her stomach cavity it swelled up like the other had, cutting off the fox's air supply as the creature began firing eggs into her belly. She tried to chew on the ovipositor, but it was too hard; her teeth would break first.

As she laid on her back, helpless and immobilized, she was forced to stare in horror at her belly growing steadily larger with every new egg. By the time she'd been denied oxygen for a full minute, she looked and felt nine months pregnant. The outline of dozens of eggs stood out plainly against the taut skin of her stretched belly. Even the spider seemed to realize that its incubator had reached her limit, because it began retracting its ovipositor. Seo-yun gasped for breath, and then was denied it again as eggs were injected into her throat. It was like vomiting in slow motion as the steady stream of eggs rose inside her one painful thump at a time, heading inexorably towards her mouth.

It took her a moment to realize that Emmeck was talking to her through the receiver. "...inger? Ginger? Can you hear me? We're on a private channel right now. I was going to wait until the round was over to bring this up, but it seems like it's now or never, right?" He chuckled. "Anyway, there was a bit of an incident last night with a fire and, well, long story short, it looks like the Wilmingshires have met a tragic end." His voice held no sorrow or gravitas as he told her about her owners' deaths. "But look on the bright side, sweetie: it means that there's no one around to get said about you becoming spider food! And if you do make it out, you resourceful little minx you, the Paradisium will be happy to take ownership. Just a little something to mull over while you're... expecting."

There was too much going on for Seo-yun to fully process what she'd just heard. Jessica and George were dead? She'd never have claimed to like either of them, but she felt no satisfaction from their deaths. And Celeste... she'd felt like she was actually establishing a connection with the woman. She'd been cold and terse, but Seo-yun had become increasingly certain over the last couple days that there was a kind person beneath the veneer.

Her current situation was demanding too much of her attention to think about it for long. The spider violating her pussy had finally run out of space and pulled out, and not a moment too soon. Seo-yun was glad she couldn't see what it had done, because she felt as stretched out down there as her stomach. Warm wet goo suddenly slapped against her pussy lips, as though the creature had ejaculated a massive burst of cum on her. That would have been far better than what it really was: web spit to seal her pussy closed and stop her from pushing even a single one of its many eggs out.

The eggs packing her throat made it difficult to breathe, but not impossible, and she was able to take small gasping breaths through her nose as the ovipositor popped out of her throat and the first egg struck the inside of her cheek. The slime coating the egg tasted worse than the spider guts had, but it wasn't the filthy taste that made her heart pound and her body squirm in a panicked, frustrated attempt to get free. The egg was warm, and she could feel it tremble slightly against her sensitive tongue. Even though it felt like she was being stoned to death from the inside out, these eggs weren't stones; they were very much alive, and they didn't have long to hatch. Even now, if one of them broke... she opened her mouth as wide as she could, trying to keep her teeth as far away from the eggs as possible as more shot into her mouth. She felt more conscious than ever of the countless ones deeper inside her, and in her mind's eye she saw exactly what was going to happen to her when they all began to hatch. There was at least a hundred eggs inside her right now, one hundred little spiders almost ready to burst out and crawl around inside her, curious and hungry. If she was lucky, she would die quickly. If she was unlucky, she might live through the entire experience.

Seo-yun's mouth was soon as packed as her stomach, her cheeks bulging obscenely around nine or ten eggs. More web spit splattered against the lower half of her face, coating her mask and mouth and hardening in seconds. The fox was now trapped, stuffed, and sealed from both ends. The two spiders backed away, seeming satisfied with the result. Seo-yun tried furiously to calm down and think rationally about her situation. There had to be a way out of this, something she could- the web beneath her shifted, and a rush of horror washed away all thoughts in her head. There was a third spider, directly below her, and that could only mean one thing. Seo-yun whimpered as an ovipositor sank into her asshole.

Her guts offered the monster plenty of space, and each egg that it fired into her pushed the rest back, sending them deeper into her intestines. Seo-yun could feel the growing line of eggs inside her as they traveled through her body, and she had to stop herself from puking at the sensation. When the spider had run out of eggs to rape her with, a second spider took its place. Then a third. Then a fourth.

The assault didn't stop until she felt the eggs in front, the first ones injected into her rectum, clink against the mass in her stomach. Her entire digestive tract from mouth to anus was now an unbroken line of spider eggs, hundreds in total. It wasn't just her stomach stretched tight anymore: her entire torso was a lumpy, misshapen bulge. Seo-yun didn't feel like a fox or a human anymore. She felt like an egg sac. Warm web spit struck her gaping anal ring, and the final spider scurried away, leaving her alone. 'Alone'. The inaccuracy of that word made her sob.

Several minutes ticked away in total silence. Seo-yun tried to call upon her power again, willing herself to break through the webbing, but it wasn't strong enough. **She** wasn't strong enough. And then there was a soft voice. "Whew, that sure was something, wasn't it?" Seo-yun opened her eyes and saw Crikey crouched next to her. "Felt like I was watching a nature documentary."

Seo-yun made a muffled, urgent sound, and the koala put a finger to her lips. "Quiet, remember? This will be much harder if those buggers come back." She produced a small knife and slowly but steadily cut the webbing off of Seo-yun's left forearm, deliberately leaving her hand and wrist still trapped. Once it was free, she began untying the ribbons on it and transferring them to her own arm. "No hard feelings, yeah?" she asked as she stole the fox's points. "The firebird was right; this **is** a competition, after all. It's been a fun time playing nice with y'all, but there just ain't enough of you left to make it worth the bother. And I **did** warn you about the self-sacrificing."

Seo-yun made another, more desperate sound, but Crikey ignored it. Once she'd stripped the left arm, she repeated the process with the right. "Yeah, this is a real good haul if ever I saw one," she remarked, showing off her ribbons when she was done. "And I've still got the cat girl's to collect when I find her." She patted the fox on the forehead. "Aww, cheer up, Ginger. You're going to come out of this just fine in the end, I'm sure of it. And if I'm wrong, well..." She shrugged and winked. "Tell all them little babes of yours I said hello."

Then she was gone, and it was just Seo-yun and the spider eggs again.

*********

Snowflake couldn't resist a shudder as she stared out over the alien landscape. Spiders. Of all the horrible, gross, rapey monsters they could have stuck down here, why did they have to use spiders? She almost wished she'd let those pirate cosplayers have their way with her yesterday. She'd rather be servicing their filthy little human dicks right now than be stuck in this nightmare room in the first place, let alone enduring the sort of disgusting things these spiders would want to do to her.

That's why she wasn't even going to deal with them. She'd let those other idiots run around like fools out there while she remained safely hidden near the elevator thanks to her foxfire. The first woman that returned would find herself on the wrong end of a nogitsune in a bad mood. If she was lucky, that bitch Ember wouldn't return at all. That was just what an arrogant loudmouth like her deserved: getting trussed up and packed by spiders. Might even teach her a little humility before she died, if a phoenix even could.

And here came her first victim, right on cue. That stupid koala girl was trudging across the web, heading right for Snowflake's hiding place without even realizing it. Her tails twitched with eager anticipation. She'd been wanting to do something like this from the beginning, but the numbers hadn't been on her side until now. Make too much noise and the others would turn on her as the biggest threat, so she'd let them think she was a simple unassuming selkie instead, hiding her tails for the right moment. But thanks to that damn phoenix, her nature and her tails were now common knowledge. There was no longer any reason to play nice, and with that stuck up dragon finally out of the way, she was confident she could take them all on together if she had to. No need to strain herself, though, not if they were going to keep handing themselves to her one at a time like this.

She tensed as Crikey drew nearer, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce. "You must be feeling awful confident to just sit here and wait, huh?" the koala asked, and Snowflake started. How... but her illusion was perfect! Master Mordred stealing her foxfire meant she couldn't use it to manipulate the outside world anymore, but she still had enough inherent power to affect herself, and her work was flawless. There was no such thing as total invisibility, but she was certain that she'd completely camouflaged her sight, sound, and smell. And yet, the woman was looking right at her, as though she wasn't hidden at all. As though she wasn't even **trying** to hide.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious, Snowflake awkwardly stood up, pretending she hadn't been about to leap forward and tackle the girl. She didn't know what kind of creature could pierce her foxfire so easily, or what other sorts of powers something like that might possess. She smelled human, but so had Ember. "I thought you were on team love and peace," she said, trying to sound calmer than she felt. "The others already become spider food?"

"Yep," Crikey answered cheerfully. "Ginger is probably experiencing the magic of childbirth even as we speak, and Betty can't be too far behind. Spotted one of them spiders dragging something that I'm pretty sure was Vorona too, all wrapped up as a little snack. Just the two of us and Ember now."

Served them all right, Snowflake thought. Especially that freak. The nogitsune didn't even know how the thing was still alive. She felt a hint of trepidation though as the full meaning of Crikey's words sunk in. Ginger, Betty, and Vorona wouldn't be coming back, which meant she'd have no chance to steal their points. There was Crikey, but her instincts were telling her that the girl was a wildcard she should stay away from until she had a better opportunity. She didn't seem at all sad about the two women she'd apparently just betrayed and sent to their deaths. She was a predator, just like Snowflake herself, and it was too dangerous to come at her directly.

Which left just Ember. And as appealing as the thought of that bitch squirming in a spider web was, if Snowflake didn't find her and steal her ribbons first, the nogitsune would be disqualified for getting no new ribbons, and if she was eliminated here... she shuddered again. She needed ribbons, and she needed them now. "Did you happen to see Ember anywhere out there?" she asked, forcing herself to act casual.

"Oh sure," the koala said easily, and pointed. "She was right out over there. Has a bunch of ribbons on her too. Looking a little tired, though."

Snowflake took a trembling step towards the direction indicated. She hated this, she hated this, she hated this... she took another step, and then another. It didn't get any easier, but the fear of failure pushed her on, and soon she was running towards her best chance of making it out of this nightmare.

"Happy hunting!" Crikey called out behind her.

**********

Seo-yun waited to die. It wouldn't be much longer now. Many of the eggs inside of her had started wiggling already, which meant what was inside them was ready to hatch. Right now, they were poking at their confines, digging at the shells that trapped them. A few hours, maybe less, and they'd begin breaking out.

She'd struggled for a while, long after it had become obvious that it wasn't doing her any good. She didn't want to die like this. Not because of the manner of death, though it promised to be agonizing and disgusting, but because of the circumstances. She was going to die alone, deep underground and far from home. The sun and stars would never shine on her again, and her bones would never be buried with her parents.

  
Part of her hated Crikey for what she'd done. The woman hadn't just condemned her to death to help win a game, she'd done so with a smile on her lips. But Seo-yun resisted the emotion. It wasn't that Crikey didn't deserve her hatred. It was just that the fox didn't have a taste for it anymore. She'd spent much of her life using that emotion as a shield, because it was easier to hate everyone else than to try and connect with them, and especially easier to just hate herself than to try and be a better person. It had been a miserable, lifeless experience, and deep down it was almost identical to where she was now: stuck in place just waiting for death. In a way, as bitter as the thought was, she was grateful to Levinson for abducting her. Without him, she would have stayed that way forever. If she had to die like this, at least she would do it feeling more like herself.

The web she was on shook slightly as something stepped onto its strands. That would be another spider hoping to add its own eggs to her. Three times now that had happened; the newcomer would poke her bloated belly for a time, checking for any available space, and eventually give up and crawl away. The shaking intensified as the creature approached, until it was standing directly over her.

Seo-yun thought she was dreaming at first when she saw Samantha's face. "What am I going to do with you, Yip Yip?" said the woman crossly as she crouched and began tearing away the webbing. "I leave you alone for a few hours and look what you get yourself into. This is what happens when you think you can trust people." Her words and tone were harsh as she continued to berate Seo-yun for getting herself caught, but her touch was gentle, working carefully not to jostle the eggs inside of her. The woman had come to help her. And Betty was there too, helping remove the hardened goo. They'd both come for her. They couldn't save her, but the fact that they were trying, that they hadn't just abandoned her to her fate without a second thought, made tears come to the fox's eyes.

They freed her hands first, and Seo-yun quickly began assisting them in pulling the rest off. As soon as she could move again, she forced herself to her feet and ripped off the goo sealing her mouth shut. It took no effort to make herself vomit, and dozens of eggs spewed from her mouth and throat. She tore off the webbing on her lower half and similarly expelled more of the eggs. She used her fingers to get the last few out of her pussy, but she could still feel hundreds in her digestive tract, buried too deep to get out. She looked down at her swollen abdomen and nearly vomited again.

"I... you need to get away," she croaked. "When they hatch, they'll... I don't know what they'll do."

"You're going to be fine," Sam said bluntly.

  
"No, I'm not," Seo-yun insisted. She gestured down at herself. "There's no way to get these things out or stop them from hatching. I'm grateful you came for me, I..." Her voice broke. "I'm really grateful, but you're putting yourself in danger. If the hatchlings possess even a fraction of their parents' venom, a swarm of them will be more dangerous than an adult. Please, you have to leave me here." The eggs had begun jostling and rolling around inside of her. Moving around had agitated them, and they were eager to get out. She had no more than minutes left.

"You can drop the martyr act, Yip Yip," said Samantha, rolling her eyes. "I know a way to take care of the eggs." She held up her right arm, showing five black ribbons there. "See? These bastards are big and scary looking, but they're not invincible, and I already discovered their weakness."

"How?" the fox asked. "What did you..." Her voice died as she saw the phoenix's expression behind her mask, as close to a smile as she'd ever seen the woman wear. Understanding dawned, and she grimaced. "Sam..." she asked instead, feeling a sudden mixture of hope and exasperation, "...is fire really your solution to **everything**?"

Samantha shrugged. "It's not my fault everything burns."

The procedure was painful, but quick. They pulled out a long line of webbing, and Seo-yun forced herself to swallow it down, leaving only a few inches dangling from her mouth. That was the fuse. The silk was extremely flammable, and as soon as Ember touched her hair to the end, flames ran hungrily down its length. Seo-yun bit her arm to muffle her screams as the fire burned her, traveling down into her stomach and then igniting the eggs. The fire consumed them easily, liquefying shells and their contents as it jumped from egg to egg. Her insides weren't immune to the heat, and she could feel herself burning, but within a minute there was nothing solid left of the eggs, and without them as fuel the flames were soon extinguished by her own bodily fluids. If she'd been human, the process would have left her incapacitated for days, if not outright crippled or dead, but Seo-yun could feel her flesh restoring itself.

"How are you feeling, meow?" Betty asked. The dark haired girl watched her with concern.

"I'll... be okay," Seo-yun told her, trying not to think about the melted eggs she'd see in her stool the next time she moved her bowels. She looked up at Samantha. "Thank you."  
  
The redhead jabbed a thumb at Betty. "Thank her, not me. Crazy girl was running around shouting my name and meowing. At first, I thought it was either the laziest trap I'd ever seen or the smartest, but eventually I bit and she begged me to come help you."

"Thank you too," Seo-yun told the cat girl. She gave a polite nod of acknowledgment, but she was smiling. "Thank you both. I swear I'll repay you for this."

"We agreed to work together, meow," Betty told her. "That makes us allies, and allies help one another, meow. You have no obligation to me, especially when your trouble came about from saving me from that same fate, meow."

"Still, I, I don't know what to say."  
  


"You can start by telling me which way the damn koala went," Samantha growled. "If you don't get your ribbons back before the end of the day, you'll be a spider mama this time tomorrow. Here." She untied two of her black ribbons and offered one to each of them. "So at least you won't get disqualified thanks to not getting any of your own."

"Wait, you're **giving** your ribbons away?" Seo-yun asked. She was exhausted, still drenched in spider guts, and felt like she'd been on the wrong side of a cooking fire, but she couldn't keep the teasing tone out of her voice. "What about this being a competition, rah rah rah? You never even used to go easy in foosball." She blinked. "Sorry, when I'm tired it seems to be difficult to distinguish between my own memories and imparted knowledge. I don't even know what foosball is... wait..." She stared at Samantha as the knowledge came to her. "You took a game like **that** seriously?"

Samantha wouldn't meet her eyes. "It's in my best interest to keep you around as long as possible," she said gruffly. "You're not competent enough to beat me, and you're too stupid to betray me. Cat seems to be the same way." She paused. "And if I'm overcompetitive, you can blame that damn ghost of yours for it. I've never met a more insufferable winner in my life. It was either beat him all the time, or murder him in his sleep."

"We should leave here soon, meow," Betty advised. "I believe the spiders sense prey by movement, and we've made a lot of that recently, meow. It would be difficult to defend against an entire group, meow."

Even Samantha didn't seem enthused about the prospect of taking on multiple spiders at once, so they quickly prepared to leave. "You realize how hard it is to take anything you say seriously when you add 'meow' to the end, right?" she asked. "You really don't have to keep saying it every single time. Or at all."

Betty sighed. "I wish that were true, meow."

On an impulse, Seo-yun chose some of the undamaged spider eggs from the adult she'd killed and placed them in her backpack, making sure they weren't matured enough to be moving. "The hell do you want with those?" asked Samantha when she saw what the fox was doing. "Looking for a souvenir of the time you almost had a million kids?"  
  


"They're as hard as rocks and have a decent weight to them," Seo-yun said simply. "There are now two people in this game who have tried to have me raped or killed, present company excluded, and I'm sick of not having any weapons."

"Now you're getting into the Paradisium spirit," Samantha said. "I'll make a killer out of you in no time, Yip Yip."

  
The fox gave her a hard look. "I'm not a killer anymore, Sam. But I'm not prey either. I'm a **hunter** , and it's time I started acting like one."


	14. Spider Dance

It was difficult to track time within the silk cocoon. Nadia was dragged roughly across slopes and up and down cliffs, with no sense of what direction she was being taken. She spent the journey focusing on keeping her heart rate up. The faster her metabolism, the faster the poison would leave her system. Luckily she had more than enough terror to keep her from relaxing.

The really stupid thing about this situation, she reflected, was that some tiny part of her was still hoping her sister would show up to rescue her. As though she hadn't been the very source of so much of her torment over the years. Tanya was as much her mistress as Ilya was her master. They both regularly tortured and raped her, together or apart. Nadia's tongue was as familiar with the contours of her sister's pussy as it was with the bumps and veins on their father's cock, and Tanya was even better at making her scream than he was.

But there had been a time when things were different. When they were just children, the two of them had been inseparable. Her memories of back then were fuzzy, but she remembered Tanya as a kind and gentle girl who'd never flaunted her superiority. The other children were frequently cruel with each other - Paragon encouraged direct competition, pushing them to see their siblings as enemies that they had to beat to survive instead of hating the system itself that they were all trapped in - but Tanya hadn't been like that. For the first decade of their lives, Nadia had trusted, relied upon, and loved her sister, and she still believed Tanya had genuinely loved her back during those days.

All that changed after Ilya gave Nadia her wings. It was the one and only time that Nadia had received something that Tanya hadn't, and it had sparked jealousy in the girl. It was like a switch had been flipped in her head, and all trace of the loving Tanya had vanished. She'd never forgiven Nadia, and from that point forward, things were completely different between them. Nadia had tried countless times to explain that their father's gift of the wings had been no kindness, that there had been a significant chance that attempting such a large graft would kill the recipient, and he'd chosen her for it because he'd considered her the more expendable twin, but Tanya wouldn't listen.

No matter how much her sister abused her, though, Nadia couldn't shake off those old memories. She knew it was ridiculous to hope that Tanya would one day change back to the way she'd been, but she couldn't help it. She missed her sister.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft constant chittering in the background, the first sound she'd heard since her capture. It grew louder as she was brought closer, until it surrounded her on all sides. "I was right," Ilya said as she was hoisted up into the air. "They've made a nest where some of the large webs meet to form a crevice." All movement stopped. Nadia's cocoon hung in midair, dangling from a thread and softly swaying. She tested her limbs; they were still a little sluggish, but she was mostly recovered.

"You're surrounded by thirteen or fourteen of them," Ilya growled. "The paralysis has worn off, right? Even a pathetic cunt like you should be able to take the lead with a windfall like this."

Nadia took a deep breath.

Then she activated her fox marble.

The silk cocoon twisted and distorted, then ripped apart from the inside. The fox that fell from it had nine tails and blue fur very nearly as dark as the wings that still adorned her back. There were spiders all around her, and Nadia launched herself at the nearest, knocking it onto its back. Her claws and teeth easily shattered its carapace and shredded its organs, and she bounded to the next one. A few of them spat webbing at her, but a single flap of her wings took her out of harm's way.

Claws raked at the vulpan as she slaughtered her way through the nest, but now that she was in this form, she barely noticed the poison coursing through her veins. She had hoped to make it through the entire competition without ever having to do this. There had been multiple times over the last four days when her marble could have helped her, but every time she'd made excuses to justify avoiding it. She hated the feeling of transformation; this fox thing wasn't her, and every time she changed she was afraid she wouldn't be able to find her way back.

Sometimes she thought that this marble was the most violating form of rape her father and sister could have ever hoped to inflict upon her. They were still using and defiling her body for their own gain, and with no care for how she felt about it. The only difference was that instead of using it to orgasm, they were using it to help them win this stupid game. Nadia felt like an animal being put to work.

In a matter of minutes, she'd torn every last spider apart. She'd hoped that the violence might at least make her feel a little better, but it didn't. The Paradisium must have gone through enormous expense to bring these creatures here, but that didn't mean that they actually cared about them. They were happy to let them be slaughtered for entertainment, and when this was all over, the spiders would probably just be left down here to starve to death. They hadn't asked to become a part of this, to have their lives irrevocably changed and ultimately thrown away for the sake of people who hated them and would never offer the slightest respect for their service.

Nadia could relate.

Her form shifted back into a young winged woman, and she set to collecting the ribbons left behind.

**********

  
Snowflake cursed when she saw the three women together. At first she thought the koala had lied to her, but the freak was plastered with black goo and bits of web. It was obvious she'd gotten into trouble with the spiders, but the other two must have rescued her. She considered turning back and attacking Crikey after all, but there was no guarantee the woman was still anywhere near the elevator, and this awful place stank too much of spider to track anyone. Besides, she reflected, there wasn't really much difference between attacking Ember alone and attacking her with the other two. The cat had shown herself to be utterly useless, and the freak wasn't much better. All this really meant was that she'd get even more points for putting the phoenix in her place.

For a while, she watched them from a distance, planning her ambush. She was concealing herself with her illusions again, and unlike Crikey, none of them seemed aware of her. Keeping her illusions going while she moved around was far more taxing than holding still, but once these three were out of the picture along with the raven, there would be no one left that she could use them on anyway.

After twenty minutes, an opportunity presented itself. The patch of web they were traveling on was a sparse one, with several feet between each strand. The three women had chosen to crawl across for safety, clambering across the lines as though climbing a horizontal ladder. Ember led them, followed by Betty, with the freak in the back. Their heads were down, and their attention focused on not falling. None of them were prepared or in any position for a fight.

Snowflake used her nails to slash right through one of the strands.

Ember had been using it to support her legs, and when it collapsed, she fell with it. Her reflexes were quick enough to grab at the line in front of her and turn her fall into a swing, ending with her body dangling beneath the line, arms lifted and holding on for dear life. Betty wasn't so lucky. She'd been holding the fallen line, and she tumbled forward and down until her movement was arrested by Ginger behind her, who latched onto her legs with her tails to save her. The cat hung upside down, suspended over the yawning pit. The freak strained, trying to lift her her up to safety, and Snowflake casually cut through her strand as well.

The freak and the cat both fell as the line supporting them dropped, and the freak caught herself on the nearest line. Like Ember a few feet away, she now dangled with her arms up in the air, but with the added weight of Betty beneath her. The phoenix gritted her teeth and began to haul herself up, but paused as Snowflake let herself appear in front of her, casually stepping on the woman's hands. "Stay put, bitch," she told Ember, "or I keep cutting. Are any of you in a hurry to find out how far the drop is, or what's going to be waiting for you down below? No?"

"Leave us alone, Snowflake," Ginger said. "We don't want a fight."

"Said nothing about fighting, freak," Snowflake retorted. "I just want those ribbons. So you can either start **slowly** untying them and handing them over, without making any sudden or suspicious movements, or you can fall." She had no intention of ever letting them get back up, of course. The only direction left for these three idiots to go was down, after she'd gotten some points from them. They probably wouldn't survive, but she didn't care about that. After all, they'd do the same to her if they had the chance. And it's not like she was the one who'd designed this game. If losing here meant a horrible death, that was the Paradisium's fault, not hers. She wasn't going to lose this game and end up trapped in this fucking hellscape thanks to trying to go easy on her enemies.

"How am I supposed to untie my ribbons if you won't step off my fucking hands?" Ember snarled.

"You'll get your chance in a minute, bitch," Snowflake told her. She slapped Ember's face with one of her tails, basking in the woman's look of frustration. "Wait your turn." The phoenix could keep her ribbons, she'd decided. She was the only one here she had to worry about, and Snowflake wasn't going to give her any opportunity to turn the tables. The only reason the bitch wasn't already falling was because that would be too easy for her. She was going to let Ember appreciate how thoroughly she'd lost while she rotted away down here. "You first, freak," she said. "Give me that black ribbon of yours." A ribbon like that was exactly what she needed.

"I... I can't," Ginger said, sounding slightly panicked. "I can't hold us up with just one hand. We'll fall!"

"Oh yeah?" Snowflake asked skeptically. "What happened to the super strong freak we all watched fight Ember here last night?"  
  
"That was... it was all staged," said the woman sheepishly. "Ember said people would leave me alone if I seemed strong. I promised to give her all my points when we get to the last round, and in return sh-she used some of her phoenix powers to help me survive and then made me look good."

Snowflake let out a frustrated hiss. Her instincts told her Ginger was lying through her teeth, but she had to admit that her version of events sounded much more reasonable. The idea that she'd miraculously survived having an extra soul inside of her had made no sense, and it made even less sense that Ember, who was famous for shunning alliances, would have spared her life after their fight and now be working with her today. But phoenixes were known for their healing abilities, and if Ember had been making secret deals like this on the side all the time, that would explain how she'd managed to win four years running. "Fine," she spat finally. She wrapped one of her tails around the freak's neck, drawing it tight enough to allow only the barest of breath. "There, now I'm holding you up too. Get that ribbon off!"

"Th-that's not enough, mistress!" Ginger wheezed. "I'll fall! I know I will!" Tears began to drip down her face. "Please don't let me fall," she whined. "Please, I'll be good! I'll try my best to be a better cunt licker for you!"

Snowflake growled her annoyance. She'd forgotten what a pathetic coward the freak really was. Now she was certain the woman had been telling the truth about staging the fight. A whimpering crybaby like her could never have done something like that for real. She circled Ginger's torso with three of her tails, then tugged. Ginger squealed in fright as she was wrenched away from the web she was holding and lifted up into the air. "There," the nogitsune declared. "You're not going to fall, see? Give me that fucking ribbon before I lose the last of my patience." She waved her tails around a little to impress her point, and the woman wailed fearfully as she was swung around.

"Y-y-y-yes mistress!" she babbled as soon as Snowflake stopped shaking her. "Thank you, mistress! Thank-" Right in the middle of her tearful begging, the freak moved, as quick as lightning. Her own tails snapped to the side, tossing the cat girl to safety, and at the same time she grabbed Snowflake's with both hands. The nogitsune shook her tails again, much more violently this time, but Ginger held on, refusing to be thrown off.

"Let go!" Snowflake shouted as she used her other tails to lash the woman's body. "Let go of me, freak!" She heard a slight crunching sound, but she was too focused on the struggle to think much of it. Ginger was trying to use her own tails to defend herself from Snowflake's strikes, but they were outnumbered six to three and... she realized that she couldn't see Ginger's fourth tail just before it appeared from behind the woman, whipping something small at her. With no time to dodge, Snowflake tensed, but when it struck her chest it was only a soft thump. She looked down to see what had hit her.

It was a spider. A spider. A small spider on her chest. Crawling around. A spider crawling around on her body and she could feel all eight of its legs as it scurried. A black, creepy, disgusting baby spider still covered in slime from the egg it had just been in. On her. On her body. Crawling. On her bare skin.

Snowflake screamed and tried to bat the thing away with her hands, Ginger momentarily forgotten about. She was still screaming when something else came flying at her, and this time it was aimed at her open mouth. The nogitsune felt the spider hit the back of her throat, felt all of its legs scrabbling at the insides of her cheek, and she doubled over and retched, nearly falling off the web she was standing on in the process. She stumbled to the side in a blind panic, arms up to protect her face.

A fist slammed into her unprotected solar plexus. That damn phoenix had gotten back on her feet. Snowflake tried to lash at her with her tails, but they wouldn't obey. She risked a glance back and saw that it was thanks to the freak, who'd wrapped her own tails around them to bind them together. She turned her attention back to Ember just in time for the woman to knee her in the crotch. Stars burst behind her eyes.

Snowflake had taken worse hits before, but she let herself crumple to the ground, moaning in pain. An instant later she sprang forward, headbutting the stupid phoenix right in the stomach. It was Ember's turn to stagger back in surprise, and Snowflake pursued the advantage. She kicked the redhead in the side with enough force to send her sailing off their web. Ginger caught the woman with her tails before she could fall, but that gave Snowflake the opening to jerk her own tails free of the freak's hold.

Both of her opponents were next to each other now, facing her from another line. She stared them both down, her tails waving about in frustration. Her ambush might have failed, but she was far from beaten, and this **wasn't** over. That disgusting little bitch Ginger had... she had... even just the memory of those spiders on her skin and in her mouth made her want to puke. "For that, I'm going to drag you back to the elevator myself, freak," she growled. "You'll be having fond thoughts of these spiders by the time I'm done with you tonight."

"We don't have to do this," Ginger pleaded. "We can be better than this! Look, what if Ember shared some of her ribbons so you don't get disqualified? Then you have no reason to fight us."

"Fuck that," said Snowflake and Ember at the same time, glaring at each other.

"I'm not giving a single point to that cunt," Ember swore.

"You're not going to **give** me anything," Snowflake replied with a sneer. "I'm going to **take** what I came for, after I find out just how immortal you really are."

Snowflake tensed, ready to leap forward and continue the fight, when she heard Emmeck's voice in her ear. "Only one hour left, ladies," he said, "and so far all of you are still standing! A very impressive feat, but a little boring, isn't it? Why don't we spice things up a bit?"

A loud, angry alarm began clanging from every direction, and even Ember winced and put her hands over her ears. "I may have told you a little white lie this morning, folks," Emmeck continued. "Well, not a lie, really. What's the opposite of an exaggeration? I told you all that we'd brought in one hundred of the largest spiders in the world for today's competition, and that was **one** **hundred** percent true. Buuuuuut... I didn't mention the other ninety nine hundred. Oops!"

A movement from below caught Snowflake's eye, and she stared at in horror as the darkness beneath them began to twist and writhe. She had assumed, like the others, that they were too high up to see the floor, but that wasn't true. The ground was less than thirty feet below them, and the darkness hiding it wasn't a lightless abyss... it was spiders.

The entire floor of the arena was covered in spiders.

Many of them were massive in size, but others were smaller, ranging from tiny enough to fit in the palm of a hand to the size of a large dog. - the arena may have started with ten thousand, but some of the spiders must have already been forced to hatch their eggs. Even if only a fraction of their brood had survived without a proper incubator, there could be a hundred thousand or more here by now. The young ones wouldn't be looking for incubators, but they'd still be hungry. "They're normally nocturnal creatures, so most of them have spent the day sleeping," Emmeck told everyone as the alarm faded away. "But now that we've sounded the dinner bell, they should all be awake, hungry, and itching to get those eggs laid. Best of luck to you, ladies! And to you too, contestants!"

A large spider appeared in the gap between the women, climbing up a freshly spat strand of webbing. Snowflake screamed and swatted its legs with her tails, sending it tumbling down, but there were more right behind it, and others emerging from every other gap in sight. There were too many to knock down and she spun in place, paralyzed by indecision and fear. No no nononononononononononononono!

"Snowflake!" shouted Ginger, and Snowflake saw that the other three had vanished. For a moment she thought she was all alone with the spiders, and the sudden rush of terror made it impossible to breathe until she saw the girl standing atop one of the adults, clutching Betty and Ember with her tails. "Come on! We have to get out of here!" Some of the other spiders had noticed the three, and one of them spat webbing at them, but Ginger jumped onto another spider's back to avoid it, carrying her companions with her. She reached out a hand to Snowflake. "Come on!" she repeated. "While there's still time!'

Snowflake almost obeyed without thinking, her knees bent and ready to jump, when a shiver of doubt ran through her. Why was the freak trying to help her? She had no reason to, and every reason not to. Snowflake had raped her two days ago and tried to kill her just now. No, it had to be a trick. The freak just wanted her to come closer so she could steal her ribbons and then toss her to the horde. Her lips curled up in a snarl. "Fuck you!" she hissed. As if she'd ever give anyone the chance to betray her again. She was smarter than that now.

The nogitsune called upon her fire instead, crafting an illusion to camouflage herself. She'd hide and let the spiders chase after everyone else. There would have to be a stray ribbon or two somewhere that she could pick up once things calmed down. She just had to stay hidden and she would be okay. She couldn't see the others anymore, and good riddance. The spiders were welcome to all three of them.

Her illusion was working. Spiders crawled all around her without seeing her, completely fooled by her cloak. She could make it through this. She just had to make it back to the elevator like this. Snowflake took a small step. As long as she moved slowly and carefully...

The moment her foot came down on the webbing, all the spiders around her reacted, waving their clawed legs at her or spitting goo. No! How could they see her?! She jumped away to avoid them, keeping the illusion intact. The thought of jumping atop one of the spiders themselves like Ginger had, having her bare feet on its hide, was grotesque, and she instead jumped to an unoccupied piece of webbing. The reaction was no different from before, every nearby spider focusing her attention on her as soon as she landed. She made several more jumps, and they followed her every time. It was getting harder to dodge their attacks, and her mind worked furiously, trying to figure out what was going wrong. She was masking every sense: sight, smell, hearing, even taste! The only one she couldn't hide was touch, and she was being very, very careful not to actually touch any of them, only the web it-

The web! Snowflake's spirits lifted as she realized what she'd been missing. They were feeling the vibrations she was making in the web, and hunting her that way. Which meant all she had to do to escape them was get off their webs. That wouldn't have been possible a few minutes ago, but now that the floor was clear... she jumped down into one of the gaps between strands, heading for the safety of the ground.

And jerked to a stop just a few feet above it, swinging upside down in the air. One of her tails had gotten caught on something. Snowflake looked up, and felt dread as she saw her appendage plastered to the web by spit. She tugged on it desperately, but she had no leverage and it held fast. An image of the four tailed freak flashed in her head and she gulped. If she cut her tail off with her nails, she'd be free, but could she really mutilate herself like that? A moment later, the spiders made the decision for her, showering her in spit and leaving her paralyzed.

Inside her head, the nogitsune was gibbering with terror. She was trapped. She was trapped and surrounded by spiders, huge crawly gross spiders, and they were... they were all going to... claws dug into her leg as one of them began slowly crawling down the front of her body. More claws sank into her breasts to support itself as its ovipositor swung right in her face, long and sharp and jet black. Her flesh did some crawling of its own as a second spider started descending down her back, this one pinching her ass and yanking on her hair with its claws. Its ovipositor slid menacingly across her ass cheeks.

Both spiders struck at almost the exact same time, twin spears stabbing into her throat and asshole. Snowflake gave a muffled howl as both swelled up, plugging her gullet and stretching out her ass. Two small lumps shot into her, one straight down her throat and into her stomach, the other fired deep into her guts. Eggs. They were filling her with spider eggs. She had spiders inside her spider eggs little baby spiders that were going to come out and crawl and bite and spin webs and live inside her spiders inside her spiders spiders- she thrashed in a fit of pure mindless insanity. The two spiders held on easily as she swung helplessly in the air, pumping another two eggs into her, and another two, and another two...

Snowflake could do nothing but endure the endless flood of disgusting eggs into her bowels. The ones in her stomach, though, were a different story. Her belly slowly swelled up, one golfball-sized egg at a time, then her throat, and then she was puking, expelling the contents of her stomach the instant the ovipositor that had been throatfucking her pulled back enough to allow it. The sight of the smashed eggs below her and the crushed baby spiders scattered everywhere was almost enough to make her throw up again, but it couldn't dent her sense of satisfaction. Those ones at least, would never get to further defile her body.

Her feeling of triumph lasted until the spider finished spitting the last of its clutch into her and crawled away, only to be replaced by another. As she began choking on the newcomer's ovipositor and feeling the steady thump-thump-thump of fresh eggs firing into her stomach, she realized that all she'd accomplished was to prolong her torture. She could puke their eggs out all day and there would still be thousands of spiders eager to shoot more down her throat. Two spiders had finished packing her bowels and a third was just getting started by the time her belly and throat were once again swollen and aching with spider eggs. This time she didn't make herself vomit... but she did it anyway, her body's reaction to her hellish situation completely involuntary. She stared down at the broken eggs, and as yet another ovipositor brushed past her lips to start all over again, her tears began to drip down.

An hour later, Snowflake's guts were bursting with eggs from a dozen different mothers, and she was desperately trying to keep her lips sealed around throatfucker number nine as its eggs slapped against her cheeks and tongue. Her throat burned after throwing up so many times, but she was finally doing it She was holding her nausea at bay, and she was almost... her mask crumbled away and her body went numb, allowing gravity to send a flood of eggs pouring out from her slack lips. "Time's up, folks!" Emmeck announced. "And we're down to our finalists..."

It took another half hour before one of the spiders spat on her ass, sealing more than a thousand eggs from nineteen different clutches inside her. The tail she hung from ached from all the weight it was being forced to support, and Snowflake had begun hoping a long time ago that it would just rip right off. But she wasn't that lucky, not even when the next spider to crawl down her back began stuffing her womb, which made her puke again all on its own.

It took another hour after that before she managed to keep her mouth shut tight the entire time and not throw up. Snowflake sobbed with relief and shame when the twenty third spider to fuck her throat spat its hot goo over her lips to seal its eggs inside of her. She'd done it. She'd finally done it. Every possible space in her body was full of warm, throbbing, slimy spider eggs, each and every one a living nightmare.

The bloated egg sac that had once been a nogitsune dangled in the air, spinning slowly in place, waiting for her babes to hatch.

**********

"We're not going back for her," Samantha announced shortly after Snowflake vanished from their sight.

"I didn't say we should," Seo-yun replied, ducking beneath a blast of web spit and then jumping to another spider, keeping her two friends in tow with her tails. She had to do so much dodging back and forth that it was difficult to make forward progress, but they were moving roughly in the direction of the elevator. They couldn't afford to hunt Crikey, not like this. Their safety had to come first.

"You didn't have to say anything," Samantha countered. "You've got that-" One of the spiders next to them reared up, looking to sweep them off of their current mount with its waving legs, and Seo-yun swung the woman towards it. Samantha blocked its clumsy sweeps with her flaming hands, careful not to let the claws graze her. The creature stumbled back, away from the fire, and ended up on its back, legs flailing. "You've got that look on your face," she finished.

"You can't even see my face," Seo-yun protested. "And what kind of look?"

"One o'clock, meow," Betty said quickly. "Then ten o'clock, meow." With the spiders scurrying in every direction, and one or more trying to kill them or worse at any given moment, Seo-yun and Samantha had no time to figure out which way to go next. The cat girl's careful directions were the only reason they weren't hopelessly lost.

"That 'no man left behind' look," Samantha told Seo-yun. "It's a nice sentiment, Yip Yip, but you can't carry the whole world on your shoulders. You made the offer, and she didn't want our help. Leave it at that."

"You know, I am getting really sick of that nickname," Seo-yun said, fighting to maintain balance as their latest spider careened down a hill. "My name is Seo-yun."

"And mine is Ember," Samantha snapped. "You start calling me by my real name, and I'll consider using yours."

"Three o'clock, twelve o'clock, two o'clock, meow," Betty said.

"Drop the macho badass phoenix act," said Seo-yun. "I've saved your life twice now. Haven't I earned a little respect? I just want you to treat me like a real person for once."

"Twice?" repeated Samantha scornfully. "How the hell do you get 'twice'?" She scraped a glob of flaming oil out of her hair and flung it towards a nearby pack, making them all scatter as the webbing around them began to burn.

"I saved you from the pirates yesterday, and just now from Snowflake."

"Ten o'clock, nine o'clock, twelve' o'clock, meow."

"You didn't save me from any damn pirates! I was doing just fine before you showed up! I didn't need your help with the fox just now either! I was just trying to do you a favor and not make you feel useless! And I've saved **your** life **three** times!"

"Three?!"

"Two o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, meow."

Samantha began counting them off. "Killing the dog that was after you in round one, rescuing you from the fire in the fortress yesterday, rescuing you from the spiders today. Three times!"

"You're the one who set that fire! **To kill me!** Not going through with it doesn't count as saving my life!"

"The hell it doesn't! You think it was easy dragging your unconscious carcass around until I found a boat?!"

"Unconscious because you tried to gut me!" Seo-yun slid down the back of one of the spiders and used the momentum to launch herself forward across a massive gap in the web, landing on the back of the next spider. "Which was at least the second or third time you tried to murder me yesterday!" They were making their way up a steep hill now, and Seo-yun realized with no small relief that she recognized it. Once they reached the top, the elevator column should be visible.

"Fine!" Samantha snarled. "We'll say **I** saved you twice and **you** saved me twice! So we're even!"

"Fine!" shouted Seo-yun. She paused. "...What does that even mean?!"

"It means you two should get a room, meow," Betty said calmly. "One o'clock, eleven o'clock, two o'clock, meow."

To Seo-yun's astonishment, Samantha's face turned bright red beneath her mask. "I-I don't..." she sputtered. "Shut up!"

"Cooeeee!" cried a voice from up ahead, and Seo-yun saw Crikey standing at the crest of the hill with her hands cupped to carry her voice. Like them, she was riding atop a spider, but it seemed far more docile than theirs, like a true ride animal instead of a wild beast unable to throw her off. "Nice to see y'all getting along!" she shouted. "You do some good bonding out there?"

"Give me the ribbons back, Crikey!" Seo-yun called out, picking up the pace.

"What, you mean these ribbons?" Crikey shouted, waving her arm. "Sorry, you must be mistaken there, Ginger! I found these just sitting on the ground out there, stuck to an egg sac! You know, just like the one your fox friend is becoming right now because you abandoned her!"

"How does she even know about Snowflake?" Seo-yun wondered, quietly enough that the koala wouldn't hear.

"I'll make you a deal," Samantha said, just as quietly. "I'll hold her down and kick her teeth down her throat, and while I'm doing that you can ask her whatever you like. Sound good?"

Seo-yun thought about how she'd felt when she thought Crikey had come back to save her, and how callously the woman had left her to die. "Yes," she said. "It sounds good."  
  
"It's not polite to whisper!" Crikey shouted. "In fact, you girls seem to be having all kinds of rude and misplaced ideas about your roles in this competition, and your status compared to mine. I think you could use a little time out!" She patted the spider she was riding, and it obediently lowered its head. To Seo-yun's dismay, it started chewing through the web connecting the slope to the top of the hill, severing strand after strand. The entire side of the slope began to sag under the weight of the spiders on it. As the webs beneath them began to collapse along with the others, Seo-yun dashed forward and made a mad leap for the top of the hill.

And missed. Crikey smiled and waved as the fox's grasping hands came up short and all three women plummeted down, beneath the webs.

*********

The fall was long enough to smart when she landed, but not enough to seriously injure her. Seo-yun groaned and picked herself up, checking that that the other two were okay. Betty looked a little dazed, but Samantha just looked angry. Seo-yun glanced around. They were at the very bottom of the arena, where the floor was flat, gray cement without any decoration. It looked so dull and manmade that Seo-yun guessed the contestants weren't expected to make it down here. Or if they did, they weren't supposed to ever get back up.

The sections of webbing that had fallen had mostly broken apart from the impact. The intact webs she could see were all at least forty or fifty feet above them, which was well beyond even her enhanced ability to jump. For the time being, they were stuck down here.

"Boy, that looked like **fun**!" Crikey remarked from up above. "You wanna go find another hill and do that again?"

Samantha growled at her, but Seo-yun could see that they had bigger problems to worry about. Some of the spiders had fallen down with them, and many of them were now in a frenzy, blindly attacking everything around them. None of them were specifically targeting the women, unable to sense their movement without their webbing, but that wouldn't keep them safe forever. "Come on, we need to get out of here!" Seo-yun told her. Betty had already picked herself up and was holding tight to two of her tails.

"Not before I teach that cunt a lesson," said Samantha, cracking her knuckles. "Bitch tried to kill you."

  
"Who, me?" Crikey called down, mock offended. "Perish the thought, Emm! I just wanted sweet little Ginger to get a taste of motherhood. The fox is right though, you really shouldn't stick around here for long. Even I've got places I'd rather be." She put two fingers to her mouth and whistled.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, and then a dark shape streaked down from above. Seo-yun caught a a glimpse of dark raven wings and a long, four legged body, and then it was soaring back up, with the koala hanging onto one of its nine tails. "Be seeing you back home, girls!" Crikey shouted as she quickly drew away from them. "Those of you who aren't making new arachnid friends, anyway!"

Seo-yun stared at the flying creature. The wings reminded her of Vorona's, but... what **was** that thing? She couldn't stay focused on the mystery for long. There were too many dangers all around that demanded her attention, and her strength was beginning to flag. A few minutes ago, Samantha and Betty had felt as light as feathers, but now they were more like leaden weights on her tails. If they didn't reach safety soon, they never would. She forced herself to power through, scaling the nearest angry spider before they were trampled.

Once they'd maneuvered their way through the initial mob, the bottom of the arena was relatively quiet, thanks to almost all of the spiders that had left to go hunting above. It was far from empty, and there were more spiders dangling silently up above, waiting for the chance to drop down on them if they grew careless, but it wasn't the madhouse they'd experienced before, and Seo-yun was able to catch her breath a little while the other two walked on their own.

"Stop!" Samantha hissed, and pointed. "Is that...?"

In any other setting, the square air vent on the ground would have been unremarkable. But here, it made Seo-yun's heart race. "It... it must be connected to the surface, right?" she asked as they approached it cautiously.

"If it's a real vent," Samantha said. "But we've been walking around in these places for four days now, and this is the first one I've seen like this. All the others have been up on the ceiling, and too small for anyone to go through. It could just as easily be a trap for anyone trying to run, or a half-finished dead end that they stopped working on."

Betty shook her head. "No, I think it is genuine, meow. They must have put in extra vents because of the spiders, meow. They've been spinning their webs everywhere, including the ceiling, and the Paradisium didn't want to risk us suffocating in here, meow." Something that was almost a smile crossed her masked face. "Why kill any of us by accident when they can make it a spectacle instead, meow."

Seo-yun found herself agreeing with the woman. It looked genuine, and when she placed a hand over it, she could faintly detect the air current flowing out. Her hand trembled as she touched the vent directly, her fingers poking through the bars.

She flinched when Emmeck's voice suddenly boomed in her ear, harsher than ever after its brief absence. From the corner of her eye, she saw similar reactions from the other two. "Sorry to interrupt your fun, girls, but I thought I'd remind you that those lovely masks you're wearing are for use inside the arena only. If any of you should happen to wander out of bounds, well, don't say I didn't warn you. It would be a shame to see any of our promising contestants get eliminated for something so foolish."

Seo-yun reluctantly heeded the warning and withdrew her hand. Of course it couldn't be that easy. And as Emmeck had just reminded them, they were being watched every minute. Even if they could get in the vents without their masks killing them, there would be people waiting for them at every exit. "Come on," she said as she stood and brushed her hands, not even wanting to look at the false hope anymore. "We need to get moving."

The rest of their journey was uneventful until they reached the elevator shaft. More than a hundred feet in diameter, the pillar went all the way from the floor to the ceiling, and was made from smooth, polished stone. It was also covered in spiders. Several hundred lined the pillar on all sides, patiently waiting for prey. About sixty feet up were the closed elevator doors, outlined in an unfamiliar growing green light. Whatever it was, the spiders didn't seem to like it, because it was the only portion of the structure that they stayed clear of. Seo-yun supposed the game organizers had been in no hurry to find out if any spiders could manage to crawl up the inside of the elevator shaft and make their way into the Paradisium itself.

The sight of the horde filled the fox with despair. Safety was so close, but getting through all those monsters unscathed would be a nearly impossible feat, especially as exhausted as she was by now. She shoved the negative emotion away. She'd have plenty time to feel bad when she found herself back in a spider cocoon. Until then, she wasn't going to give up. "Just have to... make it up there..." she wheezed. "I'll... carry you..." She'd be the first to call it a bad plan, but it looked like the best one they had.

"You couldn't carry a tune without help right now," said Samantha crossly. "We'll find another way up." She squinted at the webs above them. "There has to be something somewhere we can climb, or a low hanging web we can reach."

"No... time..." panted Seo-yun. Emmeck had cheerfully announced the ten minute mark already. There couldn't be more than six or seven left in the round, and she'd need most of that just to climb, spiders or no. "It's this or... nothing..."

"Yes and no, meow," said Betty. . "Here, meow." She offered Seo-yun a brightly colored bundle. The fox took it, realizing as she did that it was all of the girl's ribbons.

"What...?" she asked, shaking her head and trying to hand the ribbons back. "No, you can't..."  
  
"We don't have enough, meow," said the cat girl, firmly refusing to take back her gift. "Not for all three of us, meow. Even if we reach the top, one of us will be eliminated for being in last place, meow. I decided earlier today that if this should happen, better that it be me than you, meow."

"But I can survive down here!" Seo-yun protested. It was probably true. "I should be the one to get knocked out, not you!"

Betty gave her a small smile. "Your offer is appreciated, but rejected, meow. I will not allow a servant to suffer such a fate in my place, meow." She stepped forward. "Even I am not that far gone yet, meow," she finished quietly. Seo-yun reached a hand out to stop her, but the girl was already sprinting away, racing directly towards the pillar.

She came to a dead stop about twenty feet from the elevator shaft. The army of spiders loomed ahead of her, all of them twice her size and ten times her weight. Thousands of eyes focused on her, and the creatures began to move and shift, slowly descending down the pillar to claim their prize. The cat girl bowed solemnly towards them.

Then she lifted her head and began to sing.

For years afterward, Seo-yun would try to replicate the song that she'd heard that day, but even though it was indelibly stamped into her head, no voice or instrument could come close to evoking the same feelings. The notes would all match, but there was no weight behind them, none of that raw power that touched her very soul. Even the most faithful recreation was little more than the lifeless corpse of the living, breathing music she was hearing right now. The soft melody filled the stagnant air of the arena like warm rainwater washing away mud, bringing such a sense of peace and comfort that her vision blurred with tears. There were words to the music, and while the language was like nothing the fox had ever heard, she had no trouble understanding their meaning. Love. Safety. Home. Family. The golden sound made her heart ache with longing even as it brought a smile to her lips.

Betty danced slowly in time with the music, her movements graceful and serene. Her dance didn't just accompany the melody; it was part of it in a way Seo-yun didn't understand, sight and sound and motion coming together to form a single cohesive whole. The cat girl's eyes were closed as she danced and sang, tears leaking from them to run down her body, but unlike Seo-yun, it wasn't the beauty of the moment making her cry. The fox could feel the grief within her, echoed in every note and step. Betty sang of all the things she had once known, and wept for their loss.

The spider were all as still as statues, transfixed by what was happening before them. Seo-yun didn't realize that she was doing the same until Samantha tugged on her arm. "Come on," the woman hissed. "Don't waste the chance she's giving us." Her words were quiet, but they still sounded discordant and ugly to the fox's ears compared to the singing, and she winced to hear them. She didn't want to move. She wanted to stay here and listen forever. But Samantha was right. Betty was doing this for them.

Tearing her eyes away was one of the most difficult things Seo-yun had ever done, and she sobbed harder as she and Samantha ascended the pillar, unable to view the performance. She was certain that she would never have the chance to witness anything so beautiful again. They passed by spider after spider on the way up, any of whom could have overpowered and overwhelmed them easily, but not a single one reacted to their presence, all of their attention focused on the dancer below. Samantha helped Seo-yun up onto the web, and she hungrily looked down to watch more, but she was too late. The cat girl came to a stop, making even the cessation of movement as poised and perfect as the rest of the performance. She bowed solemnly once more. The last note faded away.

Betty's mask crumbled and the girl collapsed to the ground.

Seo-yun cried out as the spiders immediately swarmed over her fallen friend. "Time's up, folks!" Emmeck announced. "And we're down to our finalists! Crikey, the enigmatic girl who has singlehandedly defeated some of this game's strongest contestants! Vorona, the beautiful raven whose transformation still has all of us in shock! Ginger, the little fox who has been full of surprises every round! And last but certainly not least, our reigning champion, the undefeated phoenix Ember! Tomorrow, we'll discover at last who will become the newest winner of the Paradisium Game!"

Betty couldn't even struggle as she was pinned by the monstrous creatures. Seo-yun watched helplessly as the poor girl was dragged this way and that, the spiders competing for access. Within moments she was bruised and beaten, and even the cat ears had been torn off her head in the beasts' frenzy. The fox jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but it was only Samantha. "We have to go," said the redhead softly. "It's not safe here and..." she looked down, then quickly glanced away. "There's nothing we can do for her now."

Seo-yun nodded. Some of the spiders had noticed the two of them again and were climbing back up the pillar to seek less crowded prey. She felt miserable and guilty, but Betty had sacrificed herself for them, and the cruelest thing Seo-yun could do right now was squander that. She gave Betty a final look, and then squinted, focusing on the woman. She could see the discarded cat ears lying some distance away, but where they had been on her head, nestled in her dark hair... was another pair of cat ears.

Genuine ones.

And then the spiders blocked her view, and she could see no more of her.


	15. Wanted

Crikey came in a few minutes after they did. The first words out of her mouth were "Oh, I was right, that **was** Betty I saw down there! Poor girl is getting good and truly stuffed down there; puts them tentacle beasties from yesterday to shame. Doesn't seem to happy about it, neither, but I guess that's just the sort of thing that happens to people who try to help you, huh, Ginger?"

It took every ounce of Seo-yun's willpower not to attack the koala. She didn't need the hunger of a gumiho to want to rip the flesh right off her bones. But Sam had already warned her that it wouldn't get her anywhere. The Paradisium had turned a blind eye to the occasional violence outside the Game before, but now that they'd reached the final round, they were going to be much more strict. As Sam had caustically told her, the women weren't contestants anymore, they were finalists; the viewers would be upset if any of them were eliminated before the big day. At best, her mask would activate and make her pass out before she did any serious damage to Crikey. At worst, they'd haul her upstairs to spend the night crippling, raping, and mutilating her, then toss what was left into the arena tomorrow morning so that the audience could enjoy her final moments. So she held her tongue, shaking with silent rage as she tried to ignore the grinning woman's barbs.

Crikey couldn't have missed the fox's reaction, and it must have amused her because she pressed onward. "And lucky you, you got her ribbons too! It's so refreshing to see someone who has her priorities straight. Hey, Vorona, what do you think? Is the cat gonna die from getting pumped too full of spiders, or do you think she'll live long enough to feel them chewing their way out of her?"

Vorona had shown up with her. Seo-yun had watched the raven transform in front of her very eyes, going from winged fox to winged woman in a matter of seconds. At any other time, she would have had a thousand questions for her. Right now, she just wanted to cry and go to sleep. "Give it a rest, please," the dark haired girl said. She sounded as tired as Seo-yun felt. "We're all miserable enough here without your help." Crikey laughed, unaffected by Vorona's sharp words.

"How could you?" Seo-yun asked. She hadn't been planning to ask the question, but it had slipped out without thinking. "How can you just stand there and laugh after being responsible for such horrible things?"  
  
"Horrible things?" Crikey repeated mildly. "Like what? Helping you and Betty get intimate with the crawlies?" She was still smiling, but there was a nasty edge to it. "In case you've forgotten, Ginger, this is a competition, and there are stakes. Maybe if Delphy had stuck around we'd all be hugging and singing kumbaya right about now, but she's long gone." Her smile widened. "She really was stupid enough to think that we could all just get along; annoyed the hell out of me. Gosh, you should've seen the look on her face when I hit her with that itching whammy."

"Just because we're competing doesn't mean we have to... have to..."  
  
"What, enjoy ourselves?" Crikey made a face. "You can get all holier-than-thou if you want to, foxy, but I ain't going to apologize for having some fun. After all, you're just slaves. It's not like I hurt anyone who matters."

"So you're not a slave too?" Samantha asked archly. She was leaning against the wall, away from the others, but her eyes were shooting daggers at the woman.

Crikey waggled her hand back and forth in the air. "Eh, don't know if I'd call it freedom as such, but I'm a lot higher up than you little fucktoys. Isn't that right, Vorona?" Her smile didn't fade when she looked at the raven, but there was a clear tension in the air.

Vorona swallowed. "Yes mistress," she said reluctantly, her body language suddenly much more deferential.

"See?" Crikey asked. "It's a sad state of affairs when this birdbrain is this smartest one around, but I'm guessing neither of you were chosen for your intelligence. Really, if I were you I'd play it safe, you know? Give up on thinking entirely before those pretty little brains of yours burn themselves out. What you lot should do tomorrow is just lay around, relax, and get fucked. It's all you're good for, after all. Oh, and if you're still alive by the time I win, maybe you could do me a favor and give me a standing ovation, yeah? That'd be a right proper sendoff."

"I'll think about it," Samantha told her. "Unless I'm too busy cleaning your blood off of my fists."

The koala grinned. "Sure, sure, the big scary phoenix. Won't it be a real special treat for the audience when they get a look behind that mask? I know Sindak's been jonesing for it a while, but this is the year he finally gets his chance. Everyone will be just dying to spend some quality time with their favorite firebird."

Samantha's expression didn't so much as flicker at the threat. "I guess that's just one more reason not to let you leave this game alive."  
  
Crikey laughed again. "You think you can take me down, Emms, you go right ahead and try." She yawned. "In the meanwhile though, I'm beat, and it looks like we got some real posh lodgings this time too. Pays to be a finalist, huh?" Unlike the previous floors, this one had no communal sleeping area or public bathrooms. Instead there were eight separate bedrooms, each sporting its own bathroom. It was all still about as rundown as a cheap motel, but compared to Seo-yun's usual sleeping arrangements, having a room to herself sounded almost as extravagant as the palace above them. "So," the kaola continued, "before I hit the hay, should I start prepping some dinner? Won't be as fancy without my head chef, but I bet I can still manage something halfway edible if I put my mind to it."

Seo-yun felt revolted at the thought of sharing another meal with the woman. It hurt to think about having eaten her food the last couple of days. Crikey had always seemed kind and cheerful; an ally at the very least, if not an outright friend. But it had all just been an act to get them to trust her, and knowing how badly she'd been tricked, and how little the woman actually thought of her, burned hot in Seo-yun's heart.

Samantha, on the other hand, seemed relatively unfazed by Crikey's treachery. Clearly disappointed that she couldn't kill her yet, but otherwise unfazed. To her, that level of double dealing must have been nothing new. Seo-yun wondered how many people like Crikey she'd had to deal with over the years,and found herself understanding much better where Samantha had been coming from before. If this one betrayal was enough to make Seo-yun feel so hurt, what must it be like to have to go through it over and over? No wonder the woman had eventually decided that it was easier to not trust anyone.

Her stomach was rumbling with hunger, but Seo-yun had something more important to do before taking care of that. She was covered in gooey webbing and black spider juices, and was acutely away of all the slime inside her from the melted eggs. She'd never felt more disgusting in her life.

Just like the showers below, the ones here couldn't get very hot, and the water pressure was pathetic, but it still felt absolutely amazing. Seo-yun stayed in there for over an hour, long after the spray had become icy cold, scrubbing herself until her skin was bright red everywhere and even her sensitive nose couldn't detect a whiff of filth. There still weren't any towels, so she settled for shaking herself dry as best she could.

Whens she stepped out of the shower, she was surprised to find Samantha sitting on the bed. The woman's dripping red hair told the fox that she'd showered recently too. "I figured you'd want something to eat," she told Seo-yun when she saw her, and indicated the plate sitting next to her, stacked high with an assortment of prepackaged and microwaved food. "And that you wouldn't be in a hurry to risk leaving your room to get some and having to deal with that bitch again."

Seo-yun accepted the plate gratefully and sat down beside her. "Is she still out there?" she asked as she wolfed down the food, forcing herself to eat as slowly as she could to keep from getting sick.

Samantha shook her head. "No, she and the bird went into one of the other rooms while I was grabbing us dinner. Probably scheming about tomorrow. Hey, what was up with the fox thing that Vorona did?"

"Beats me," Seo-yun said wearily. "Probably something incredibly important that I know absolutely nothing about, like usual." The two of them ate in silence for a while.

"It wasn't your fault," Samantha said eventually, glancing at her. "Betty, I mean. It was her choice, and if she hadn't done it, all three of us would be down there right now."

"I know," Seo-yun said. "That doesn't make it any easier, though. If I was stronger, I could protect everyone. No one else would have to make sacrifices anymore." She flexed her hands. "And I had that kind of strength once. I had so much power, and I used it for nothing but murdering innocent people. And now that I've finally found a real use for it, it's gone, and it's never coming back, and I have to live with that. Betty and Snowflake are gone because I was too weak to save them, and I have to live with that." She looked back at Samantha. "Does it ever get easier? Watching terrible things happen to other people?"

"If it ever starts to, I'll let you know," the phoenix told her. "Best I can manage is to try not to care about anyone." She sighed. "I was getting pretty good at it too, until you showed up."

"So..." Seo-yun said slowly, "what Betty said back there... were you really flirting with me?"  
  
Samantha lowered her head as if to hide her face, but the tips of her ears glowed pink. "No," she said defensively. "........maybe... did you want it to be?"

Seo-yun didn't understand the question, so she ignored it, sliding off the bed and onto her knees. She shuffled over to Samantha, gently easing her legs apart. "Hey," said the woman, "what are you-stop that!" Seo-yun tried to move her face in closer to start licking, but Samantha pushed her head away. "What are you **doing**?"

The fox looked up at her, confused. "You want to fuck me," she said. "It's okay, I've done this many times now. I don't mind doing it again." Samantha **had** saved her life today, after all. It was only natural that she'd want some reward for it. Seo-yun glanced around the room. "Or did you want to penetrate me first? Knowing the Paradisium, I'm certain there's a strap-on or something lying around. And if not, you can always use your fist like my mistress liked to do sometimes; I'll heal."

Samantha seemed to be at a loss for for words for some reason. "I... is this what **you** want?"

Seo-yun cocked her head. "Why would I ever want to be raped?" Samantha flinched at her statement, and Seo-yun hastened to add "But like I said, I don't mind doing it, and my mistress says I'm very good at it." She tried once again to reach the woman's slit so she could demonstrate her willingness, but the redhead continued to block her.

"I wasn't trying to..." Samantha pushed herself off the bed and hurried to the far side of the room, hugging herself with her arms. "God, I'm so stupid... I just... I haven't really cared about anyone since Jack, and I thought... I thought maybe you also..." She shook her head. "Never mind. I-I should go."

"You don't have to do that, Sam," Seo-yun told her as the woman strode towards the door. She scrambled to her feet, a gnawing anxiety inside of her. It was obvious that she was making Samantha upset, and she didn't understand why. "I'm telling you, it's fine!"

Samantha turned to look at her, and the fox was surprised to see tears running down from beneath her mask. "It's **fine** that you think I want to rape you?" the woman asked incredulously, her tone harsh. "And I can't even blame you for thinking I'd do something like that. I tried to murder you barely twenty four hours ago! I'm an evil bitch who's killed plenty of other people, so why wouldn't I be a rapist too?"

"I don't think you're an evil bitch," Seo-yun protested, increasingly frustrated at her irrational behavior. "I wouldn't be here with you if I thought that."

"You're just here because of Jack," Samantha muttered. "He's in there messing with your head. Without him, you wouldn't give a damn about me."

"That's not true!" Seo-yun said, her voice raised. "I... I noticed you because of him, yes, but he's not the reason I'm here with you! We **both** care about you, Sam!"

Samantha pounded her fist against the wall. "Then why do you think I want to rape you?!" she shouted.

"Because why else would you be attracted to me?!" Seo-yun shouted back.

The room fell silent, both women breathing heavily.

For a long moment they faced each other like that, until Samantha broke the silence. "You think..." she said softly, "that being attracted to you means wanting to rape you?"

"What else would it mean?" Seo-yun asked with more than a trace of bitterness. "That's just how people are. Even Morris was happy to rape me in the end, even if it wasn't by choice."

Samantha let out a deep sigh. "Yip... Seo-yun," she said. "Yeah, I guess I was flirting with you a little back there, because yeah, I'm attracted to you. You're fun to be around, you call me out on my shit, and when we're together I almost feel like an actual human being again. Plus, you're damn nice to look at, and I'd be lying if I said that the ears and the tails don't do anything for me. But that doesn't mean I wanted to, to do something to you without your consent. I wanted you to want me back."

"Why?" Seo-yun asked, not understanding. "What does what I want matter?" She sat back on the bed and looked down at herself. "It never has before, after all. Even before I was captured. I wanted to make my parents proud, I wanted to protect the villagers that were my family, I wanted to not become a monster... I've never gotten the things that I wanted, so why should anyone care about what I want?"

The fox heard Samantha approaching, and felt the bed creak as the woman sat down beside her. "What about me?" she asked, her tone more gentle than Seo-yun had ever heard her use. "Do the things that I want matter to you?"  
  
"Of course," Seo-yun said promptly. "You deserve to get the things that you want. That's why I'm okay with you raping me, so you should just-"

Samantha interrupted her. "Then shouldn't the reverse be true too? Don't the things you want get to matter to me?"

"That's not how it works," Seo-yun said sullenly. She saw where the woman was going with this, and she didn't like it. "It's not the same thing."

"What's the difference?"

"You're..." It seemed so obvious to Seo-yun, but she struggled to put it into words. "You're a person, and I'm..." She remembered Levinson's words, right after he'd first taken her. The way you're squirming right now feels good on my cock, and for the rest of your sorry existence, fucktoy, that is the closest anyone will ever get to caring about you. "I'm just a fucktoy," she said. "And the inside of a fucktoy's head doesn't matter to anyone."

"Ohhhh," Samantha said in understanding, and nodded. "Now I get it: you're an idiot."

  
"I'm not-"

Samantha talked right over her. "Only an idiot would go through the last four days and come out thinking that she's just a fucktoy. You're strong, Seo-yun, and brave, and kind, and almost as stupidly reckless as I am. If I get to be a person, you sure as hell do too, and like it or not, what goes on inside your head matters to me."

"Then you're an idiot too," Seo-yun muttered.

Samantha surprised her by laughing out loud. "Jesus, have you not been paying **any** attention at all? Of course I'm an idiot! I'm hot tempered, impulsive, a sore loser, and the most goddamn stubborn bitch in the world. And that's why I refuse to let you repeat the lies people have been feeding you. I've got bad news for you too: you're outnumbered, because there's no way Jack is taking your side over mine."

The woman was right about that last part, at least. Seo-yun had felt slightly flushed and dizzy for the last few minutes, and she had enough familiarity with it now to know that it was because she and Morris weren't seeing eye to eye on this. He and Sam were both wrong, she just didn't know why. Time passed as she stewed in her head, trying to think of the perfect argument to prove Samantha wrong while also trying to ignore the woman's words. What did Samantha know about her, anyway? Who was she to try and tell Seo-yun her own business?

She was still lost in thoughts like those when Samantha rose and stretched. "Alright, I guess I'd better call it a night," she said. "For what it's worth, Seo-yun, I'm sorry I gave you the wrong impression. I would never, ever try to do something to you without your consent. Your active consent, not just being "okay" with it..." She grinned behind her mask. "Aside from killing you. I definitely tried to do that one without asking permission."

"You tried to steal my backpack too," Seo-yun grumbled, the words feeling petty even as they left her mouth.

"Oh yeah, I did, didn't I?" Samantha said, unfazed by the comment. "And cutting your arm, that counts too. I've actually been terrible to you for a while now, haven't I? You're a saint for putting up with me all week." Her smile faded. "I really am sorry for all the times I hurt you, and for making you feel uncomfortable tonight. You deserve better than someone like me."

Seo-yun watched her walk to the door. She was going to leave, and then there would be the game tomorrow, and then they'd never see each other again. "...wait," the fox said quietly. Samantha paused, her hand on the doorknob. "I..." Seo-yun swallowed. "I don't want someone better. I want you."

Samantha turned her head to look at her. "You don't have to say that just to make me feel better. I'm a big girl, Seo-yun."

"I mean it!" Seo-yun insisted, trembling. Everything in her head told her that this was wrong, that she was making a mistake by exposing herself like this. She was just going to get hurt again. She was just going to be a disappointment again. She'd failed to protect every last thing she'd ever loved, and Samantha would be no exception. But she forced all of that down and stood up instead, walking towards Samantha on shaking legs. The redhead didn't move a muscle as she approached and leaned her head in.

Sam's lips were softer than Seo-yun had expected, and her drying tear tracks made them taste salty. The woman held still while the fox kissed her, but her mouth was warm and eager. It wasn't a long kiss, no more than a few seconds, but it left Seo-yun's heart racing by the time she broke it off. "I want you," she repeated. "I **want** you."

"You're sure about this?" Samantha asked, her dark eyes serious. "It's totally okay if we don't do anything. I don't want you to feel like you have to-" Seo-yun shut her up by kissing her again, and felt the woman relax, the tension leaving her. Samantha slumped back, and Seo-yun's body pressed hers up against the door.

The phoenix's arms encircled her as their lips and tongues continued to greedily explore each other. "So *mmm*, what do we do now?" Seo-yun asked between kisses.

Samantha laughed softly against her mouth. "*mmm* You're not a exactly a *mmm* virgin. I'm sure you *mmm* know what to do."

"I know how to *mmm* get raped," Seo-yun told her. "I've *mmm* never, you know..."

Samantha froze mid-kiss, and pulled back her head. "Wait, you're telling me you've never had real sex before? Like, not even once?"

Seo-yun shook her head, feeling a little embarrassed. "I-I've lived alone most of my life. I was a virgin when they found me."

"Not even a boyfriend or girlfriend or something that you got handsy with?" When Seo-yun shook her head again, the phoenix swore quietly. "No wonder you picked up some screwy ideas. OK, here's what we're gonna do. I bet your owners usually tell you what to do all the time, right? Have rules you've gotta follow? Well tonight, Yip Yip, you're the one in charge."

"But... I told you, I don't know what to do," Seo-yun told her.

  
Samantha grinned. "Exactly! This is your chance to learn. Here, this will help." She broke off the hug, slipping to the side and away from the door, then untied one of the blue ribbons on her forearm and passed it over before presenting her back to Seo-yun and holding her arms out behind her, wrists pressed together. "Tie me up." When Seo-yun didn't respond, she shook her wrists at her. "Come on, trust me."

"Trust you?" Seo-yun asked hesitantly. "You're the one who's trusting me. How do you know I won't try to do something once you can't fight back?"

Samantha turned her head to look at her and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're right, I've bet you've just been playing the long game all this time waiting for your chance. If it makes you feel better, I can absolutely kick your ass with both hands tied behind my back if I gotta."

Seo-yun carefully knotted the ribbon around the woman's wrists, making sure it would be comfortable and not cut into her flesh. "Perfect," Samantha declared when she was done, and then turned to face her. "It's all you now. Go at your own pace and see what you like, no pressure. Hell, if you decide you just want to snuggle, I'm down."

The fox thought for a moment. "Lay on the bed, please? On your back?" Part of her felt surprised when Samantha obeyed without hesitation or complaint, resting on her bound arms. It was so strange to be able to tell someone else what to do. She joined Samantha on the bed, facing the opposite direction on all fours with her face right above the phoenix's. She lowered her head to kiss the woman again, the sensation slightly different but no less pleasant now that they were upside down relative to each other.

After a minute of this, Seo-yun raised her head and crawled forward slightly. Her chest now hung right above the woman's face. "Would you...?" she asked shyly. She'd done this for her mistress frequently in the past, and even for Snowflake the other night, and they'd both seemed to enjoy it greatly.

"Would I what?" Samantha teased, her tone making it clear that she knew exactly what the fox wanted. She licked her lips. "I can't **imagine** what you'd like me to do."

Seo-yun felt her face grow red. "Would you... use your mouth on my... my breasts ple-" She gasped as Sam immediately latched onto her nipple, hungrily licking and sucking on the little nub and sending a rush of pleasure through her. Men had done this with her before, but it had always been painful. They would chew and bite, trying to mark as her their own with their teeth. Samantha did nothing of the sort. Her tongue was soft and gentle, and the friction as it rubbed against her was almost electric.

Samantha's own breasts were right in front of Seo-yun, and she quickly reciprocated, taking one of the woman's nipples into her mouth. The phoenix shivered beneath her as Seo-yun returned some of the pleasure she'd been given. Samantha's skin was sweet and salty and smelled wonderful after her shower. For a time, the room was silent and mostly still, save for soft slurping and the occasional quiver from one or both of them.

Seo-yun alternated every few minutes, giving both breasts equal attention. Whichever one she wasn't worshipping with her tongue, she would use her fingers to rub and play with. Samantha was being stoic, but the fox could feel the minute trembling from the woman every time her finger pads softly stroked her. With her arms restrained, Samantha couldn't match what she was doing, but she made up for it with enthusiasm and skill, her mouth making Seo-yun pant heavily.

Seo-yun could've happily stayed like that for hours, basking in the warmth and smell and taste of the woman. But their time together was limited, so after a while she reluctantly pulled away, both of Samantha's nipples now covered with saliva and rock hard, her own no different. Samantha pulled away too a moment later, licking her lips again with a little purr that left Seo-yun's knees weak.

There was a bit more kissing after that; Samantha's lips were warmer than before, and it was oddly appealing to know that the warmth had come from Seo-yun's own flesh. Then she began to explore the rest of Samantha's body, drinking in the sight and smell and feel and taste of it. She hadn't realized just how many scars covered the woman. Most had faded over time, but she could still feel them against her tongue and fingers. Samantha had been through so much. Seo-yun had been alive for three centuries, but after just nine months it felt like she'd been a slave far longer than a free woman. Samantha was just shy of three **decades** , and had been a slave for six years. An entire fifth of her life spent in captivity.

Seo-yun couldn't heal Samantha's scars, or take away the memories behind them, but she could give the woman some positive sensations and memories, and she strove to do just that, softly caressing and nibbling and nuzzling. The phoenix was doing the same for her, and it made tears come to Seo-yun's eyes. It wasn't the pleasure that got that reaction out of her - though Samantha was very, very good at what she did - it was the gentleness. Outside of a few all too brief moments, like her time with Morris and her hug from Qarinah, Seo-yun hadn't been touched with such kindness in centuries. She basked in it, feeling warm and wanted in a way that had been missing ever since she was orphaned.

She saved the wetness between Samantha's legs for last. The woman's slit was slick and almost feverishly hot to the fox's tongue, and Sam moaned as Seo-yun began exploring her insides with as much enthusiasm as she'd had for her outsides. "Thuh, that's not fair," whined the phoenix, her voice distressed but sweet. "Jack is, he's cheating!"

Seo-yun grinned as she realized that the woman wasn't wrong. Samantha's pussy felt familiar to her, and she could tell without thinking about it what she liked. She focused her attention on a spot that she already knew was extra sensitive, flicking it with her tongue and enjoying the way it made the redhead shudder. "This is *shlurp* revenge," she told Samantha as she eagerly attacked her. She wasn't sure what **exactly** it was revenge for, but she had other things on her mind.

And then she couldn't think of anything at all as Samantha fought back, burying her own tongue in Seo-yun's pussy. Seo-yun's legs felt like jelly, and it was all she could do not to just collapse into a boneless heap on top of the woman. Her master and mistress had forced her to cum for them before, but it was always just another way to control and dominate her. There had been physical pleasure to the experiences, but it was dwarfed by the shame and humiliation. What was happening now... Seo-yun whimpered helplessly as her lover brought her to an earth shattering orgasm that made her back arch and her limbs shake, and left her feeling about ready to melt off the bed and onto the floor. "S-so that's what s-sex is supposed to f-feel like," she stuttered woozily after it had washed over, leaving pleasant tingles of aftershock behind. "Fi-finally see what all the, the fuss is about..."

"Mmmm hmmmm," agreed Samantha, already working to coax another out of her. Seo-yun resisted, yanking her hips away from the woman's mouth. It wasn't that she didn't want to cum again. Goddess, there were few things she'd ever wanted more. But right now, one of those few things was to make Samantha squirm. The phoenix tried to chase after her, but Seo-yun put a hand on her stomach and pushed her against the bed, taking advantage of her trapped wrists. Samantha struggled without success as the fox pinned her down and went after her pussy again. "Come on!" she protested weakly, her trembling voice telling Seo-yun that she was already close. "This is- it's supposed to- it was about making you feel good, not me!"

"So you want me *slrp* to stop?" Seo-yun asked. She was prepared to do just that if the woman said yes, but she wasn't surprised when Samantha only growled and kept struggling. The way her slit throbbed with need against Seo-yun's tongue was more than answer enough.

As Samantha's legs kicked the air and her juices flooded Seo-yun's mouth, signaling her first orgasm, part of Seo-yun marveled at the fact that in so many ways, this was exactly what she'd been forced to do all this time, and yet the experience felt nothing like it. She'd spent countless hours over the last year kneeling between Jessica Wilmingshire's legs, and it had never brought her a fraction of the joy that she now felt. It was like the difference between a refreshing swim and drowning. She was doing this of her own free will because she wanted to, and because Samantha trusted her enough to let her do it. And Samantha wanted her. Not just a warm body that would do as it was told. **Her**.

Sam was trying to get away, her hips bucking in an effort to evade Seo-yun's tongue, and the fox happily rejected every escape attempt, her head busy and productive between the woman's legs. "D-damn you..." Samantha panted shortly after her third orgasm. "Gonna... make you... pay for **ahhhh ohhhhhhhh**..." Seo-yun couldn't help but giggle as she licked the phoenix to number four. "You're just... lucky I said...you could call all the shots tonight..." she said after her seventh. "Otherwise, I would... I would..."

"Why? *slrp* What would you do if- aah!" Seo-yun squeaked in surprise as Samantha immediately began twisting around like a snake. She barely had time to notice that the woman's hands were free before their positions were completely reversed. Samantha was still below her, but now the phoenix's legs were locked around Seo-yun's torso in a wrestling hold, her hands were groping the fox's butt, and her face was close enough to Seo-yun's crotch that she could feel her breath on it.

"I'd do something like that," Samantha said. "And **then** I'd do something like this." It was the fox's turn to writhe and moan as Sam gave her wet pussy a single long, slow lick. "You just let me know if I should keep demonstrating."

"Ohhhh," whimpered Seo-yun. "You should... should... sh-show me more... so I know wh-what I'm missing..." For a while after that, she felt too good to form words, let alone complete sentences. She could only squeal and gasp and scream as Samantha ruthlessly made up for lost time.

A long while later, both women laid on their sides, gently lapping each other as they embraced. It was late, and Seo-yun was exhausted, but she didn't want to stop. Stopping meant going to sleep and then waking up to a fresh nightmare. And worst of all, they would be separated after it was over. This was all the time they were going to have.

  
Samantha must have had similar thoughts on her mind, because eventually she sighed and stopped licking. "Alright, if I don't get up soon, I'm gonna fall asleep like this. And as nice as that sounds, tomorrow's going to be bad enough without all my muscles aching because I slept in a stupid position."

"What do you think tomorrow will be like?" Seo-yun asked her. She didn't actually care about the answer. She just wanted an excuse to stay awake a little longer.

  
"Brutal and violent. A couple years ago they put us all in one big cage with a bunch of weapons. Number of points determined the order people got to pick one. I was only in second place when we got there, but the leader made a mistake, went straight for the only gun available without checking if it was actually loaded. As if the Paradisium would let one of us kill another that cleanly. Last year we were strung up and they brought out some of their biggest sadists to see which one of us could hold out the longest. Every point you had was worth a single second before they started in on you. By the time my hundred and twenty seven were up, two of the other girls had already been accidentally killed. A third gave up immediately to try and spare herself, and they didn't like that one bit. She was begging for death long before they put her out of her misery."

"That all sounds horrible," Seo-yun said. The threat of dying today had been bad enough, but what Samantha was describing was pure torture and murder.

"That's the Paradisium for you. Every year is different, but it's always a bloodbath." She grew quiet for a moment. "...I can't help you tomorrow."

The words came as no surprise, but they still hurt to hear. "I know," Seo-yun said, trying not to let any of it show in her voice.

"You don't understand," Samantha said forcefully. "I... I have to win, because..." Her breathing had grown ragged. "Because..."

"It's okay," Seo-yun told her, "you don't have to-"

"No!" Samantha interjected. She twisted around on the bed so that the two of them were face to face. "I want to tell you, I, I'm trying to tell you, it's just..."

Seo-yun had never heard her speak with so much anxiety in her voice, and Morris seemed just as shocked. Seo-yun hugged the redhead tighter. "It's okay," she repeated. "It's okay. Just breathe and take your time..."

For a few minutes they stayed like that. Several times Samantha tried to speak and stopped herself. Seo-yun didn't try to push her, just waited for her to find the words. Finally, in a very small voice, she said, "............i'm meat." The admission seemed to take something out of her, and she began to quietly weep. "I've been trying so hard to be tough and fearless and, and eventually they're all going to find out that I'm just worthless meat."

The despair in her voice made Seo-yun's heart break. All of Samantha's bravado was gone, and beneath it she was as terrified and hurting as anyone here. The fox continued to hug the woman and stroke her hair while she cried, offering her warmth and her presence. "You are more than meat, Sam," she told her gently. "And a far cry from worthless."  
  
Samantha shook her head. "No, I'm not. When I'm not here, when I'm Samantha, I... I'm just another pathetic slave. I sob and I beg and I fuck my master just the way he likes and thank him for his cum when it's over. But when I'm here, I get to pretend to be Ember. She's the one who's worth something, the one who's important. And every year it gets harder to be her, harder to remember how to act like a real person." Her crying grew heavier. "And even if I win, I have to go back and be Samantha again, and I don't want to be Samantha. I don't want to..."  
  


She didn't speak again after that. Seo-yun embraced her as she wept, wishing she knew the words to make things right. She knew one thing, though: as long as she was alive, she wasn't going to let anything bad happen to Samantha. No matter what tomorrow held, or what it cost her, she was going to keep her safe. For Morris, for herself, and for the woman who'd been forced to fight all by herself for the last six years. She wasn't going to be alone anymore.

*********

It had been hours since the round ended, and at some point they'd shut off all the lights in the arena. Within that darkness, the nogitsune hung in place, her body twitching as several hundred of the eggs in it pipped, their shells cracking open bit by bit. She could already feel the first few legs of thousands pawing at her insides, seeking freedom. She was in hell.

"I'm used to you being pathetic, whore, but this is a new low," said Master Mordred. Snowflake thought he was speaking through her earpiece at first, forgetting that it had been destroyed, but the darkness in front of her shifted, and her owner's hand stroked her face. Then he slapped her. "And a kinder one than you deserve, if you ask me."

Snowflake whimpered. There was no one in the world she hated more than the vampire, and every session with him was an ordeal of pain and degradation, but right now she would happily spread her legs and open her lips for him if it meant rescue. She murmured through her egg stuffed mouth, trying to express her complete submission.

"Even Karakostas knows how rare a nogitsune fucktoy is. I think the greedy bastard has hopes of stealing you from me someday, because he told me that if I requested it, he'd have you taken out of here early and treated for your..." He squeezed her swollen belly with one hand, making her squirm in pain. "Your stupidity. I told him to let you rot down here until I was ready to take you back." Snowflake's heart sank. "Do you know why? Does the number seventeen mean anything to you, whore?"  
  
It did, and her heart sank even further. "That's right," he confirmed, drinking in her look of misery. "Seventeen orgasms. Did you really think I wouldn't notice my fox fucktoy breaking the rules? You're not allowed to cum, whore, not ever. And now you have to pay for it." He squeezed her belly again. "I've experimented with torturing you enough to know that these things probably won't kill you, no matter how much you'll be wishing for it. All fourteen hundred and fifty one spiders in there right now will crawl or eat their way out of you, and then you'll be stuffed and sealed again for the next batch. Seventeen orgasms, seventeen batches. That's only fair, don't you think, whore?"

His words made her shiver, particularly because she knew that he wasn't bluffing. If he wanted her to live through this nightmare seventeen times, he'd make it happen. He didn't care if she came out of it broken and insane.

"It should only take a week or two," Master Mordred told her. "And while you're down here, squirming and screaming with a thousand spiders inside you, I want you to keep something in mind." His cold lips brushed her ear, and his breath smelled stale and dead. "When you get back home, I'm going to find even worse ways to punish you." She shuddered.

"The ones in you now are just about to hatch," he said. "A few more minutes to go. I thought I would watch this first time. I imagine it's going to be quite a sight to see, and it would be a shame if only spiders were around to appreciate it. Are you ready to become a mother fourteen hundred and fifty one times over, whore?"

She shook her head. Snowflake knew her owner far too well after being both his fleshlight and favorite snack for so long. He wasn't taunting her like this just to humiliate her; he wanted something. Fine. If it meant an end to this grotesque torture, she couldn't think of anything she wouldn't eagerly agree to.

Sure enough, the vampire's next words carried a hint of amusement to them, and he idly sunk one fingernail into her breast, making her squirm in place as he tore through her skin, and then licked the blood off of himself. "Not having you around for a few days has left me hungry, hungry enough to engage in foolish sentimentality. So I will offer you a single chance to escape the punishment you deserve: die." Even in the darkness of the arena, she could feel his merciless gaze on her flesh. "If you can apologize for your centuries of incompetence and beg me sweetly to make a feast out of you, I will consider sending you off as my first and final act of mercy."

He meant it. The vampire was always true to his word if he could help it; it was one of the reasons he was a rat bastard. How many times had she begged him for death in the last five centuries? Once she'd harbored grand fantasies of overpowering him or escaping from his clutches, but for ages now her fantasies were much more mundane, if equally unobtainable: Master Mordred being overeager and feeding on her too strongly. Master Mordred choking her to death on his cock without realizing it. Or best and most hoped for of all, just dying quickly and painlessly in her sleep.

And now she'd finally made it. She could be free. All she had to do was grovel before him just one last time, and all of her suffering would over. It wasn't as though she had much pride left to lose, not after being so thoroughly defiled today. And no matter how slow or painful he decided to make her end, it was infinitely better than what was about to happen next, let alone the sixteen times after.

Master Mordred touched her webbed mouth. "When I release this, you will not waste time on negotiating, or thinking, or breathing. Either beg like the pathetic furry cum stain that you are, or don't bother trying." He gave her no further time to prepare. A single slash of his fingernail parted the gag and throbbing spider eggs began pouring out of her mouth and throat in a torrent.

She didn't hesitate to give him her answer. Even without his warning, times when he allowed her to speak to him were too rare to waste. As soon as her airway was clear enough to speak, she forced out the words. "Fuck... you..." she rasped, and spat some of the sticky black spider slime into his face.

Death would be a fate a hundred times kinder than the spiders, and she was well aware that in the days to come she'd remember this moment and curse herself for her decision. But right here and now, she couldn't do it. Death meant peace and escape and never being fucked bloody again, but it also meant letting him win, giving up forever on those impossible dreams of revenge that she'd thought she abandoned centuries ago. This week had been a bunch of stupid, annoying bullshit that culminated in these fucking spiders, but it had also made her feel like herself again for a little while. If she took his offer and begged for death, that would vanish. She'd die as Snowflake, the worthless, scum sucking whore he wanted her to be, and that was the worst fate of all. When she went, she wanted it to be as herself. As Yuki. She was a fuck-up, a murderer, and an exile, but she'd earned those scars... and she refused to let anyone take them away from her.

If her defiance angered him, he gave no sign of it. "Gooooood," he purred instead. "I was hoping you'd be that stupid. Say hello to your new family, whore."

It began as a tiny cacophony of cracking noises, so minute that even her sensitive ears barely registered them. Then Yuki felt the hard eggs inside her start to crumble, replaced by a million new and horrible sensations. The nogitsune screamed in pain and terror as a horde of freshly hatched spiders began eagerly exploring their home. As she twisted and howled, part of her already regretting her foolishness, she heard Master Mordred's mocking laughter.

*********

Nadia was so exhausted that she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. Transforming always took a lot out of her, and didn't help that she weighed more as a fox than she did as a human. Her wings would be sore for weeks after demanding so much from them.

It felt like she'd only been laying down for a few seconds when she heard the soft creaking of her bedroom door opening. Instinct made adrenaline surge through her body, burning away her sleepiness in an instant. It was common for Ilya to wake her up in the middle of the night because he was up late and felt like using her, and being only half-awake had never been a valid excuse for not performing her best.

The intruder was her sister. That wasn't uncommon either; Tanya liked to say that it was such a waste to masturbate when she could give Nadia the chance to feel like she'd actually accomplished something, and Nadia had woken more than once to find her sister's muff already planted on her lips. Even worse, sometimes Tanya would get up in the middle of the night needing to pee, and be too lazy to walk all the way to the bathroom. Her sister hadn't molested her since the game had started it, but Nadia supposed her patience had run out.

She reached up to turn on the light, but Tanya grabbed her hand midway. "Keep the lights off," she said quietly. "I've disabled the listening devices, but Eirene will notice if I turn off her cameras, and I have to assume that she can read lips."

Her words didn't make much sense - Tanya had never cared much about privacy - but Nadia let her arm fall to her side. She was still worn out, and didn't have the strength to complain. If Tanya didn't want anyone to see Nadia eating her out, fine. She just wanted to get it over with and go back to sleep.

"Nadia, we have to talk," said Tanya. She sounded different than usual. Nadia was used to her sister always sounding gleeful, especially when she was being cruel, but her tone right now was dead serious. "There are things you need to know, and we don't have much time."

Nadia sighed and sat up. Was she about to be punished? She didn't know what she'd done wrong, but Tanya had never needed much of a reason to hurt her. "What is it, mistress?" she asked tiredly.

Tanya flinched at the word 'mistress'. "Please don't call me that, Nadia. Please."

"Yes mi- Tanya." Nadia had never seen her sister acting like this, and it put her on edge. Change was never good, in her experience.

"First, I need to apologize," Tanya said. "For... for everything I've done to you in the last fifteen years, and everything I've let happen." The bedsprings squeaked softly as she sat down next to her sister. "I'm not going to ask your forgiveness, because I know I don't deserve it. But I need you to know how deeply I regret every single moment of pain and humiliation that I'm responsible for in your life."

Nadia sat up straighter, confusion and fear warring in her head. She didn't understand why her sister was saying these things, and she didn't dare believe her; this was just going to be another one of her pranks, looking to squeeze a bit of enjoyment out of her with false hope.

"I need you to listen carefully, Nadia," Tanya continued. "Fifteen years ago, I realized something very important: the only way we could ever truly defeat Ilya and those like him was by earning his trust. And a monster only trusts other monsters. Since that day, every single action I've taken has been a step towards a larger goal. I needed to make him believe that I was as cruel as he was, and... and you were how I did it." To Nadia's astonishment, she saw tears glistening in her sister's eyes. "Sometimes I wonder if there was something better I could have done, a path that wouldn't have required you to suffer. If I'd been smarter back then, or wiser, maybe I would have seen another way. But I didn't, and once I'd committed, there was no turning back."

Nadia shook her head. It was an appealing lie, but as much as she longed to believe that her sister didn't really hate her, as much as she'd dreamed of moments just like this, she couldn't swallow this sudden reversal after all these years. "There were so many times you hurt me when no one else was around," she said. "It was more than just an act. All these years, and you've waited until now to say anything?"

"I couldn't risk telling you about it," Tanya pleaded. "Not while we were at Paragon, where he has surveillance everywhere. I had to assume that he was watching me all the time, which meant my deception had to be flawless and permanent. Even when we were alone, I couldn't drop the act or try to give you a hint. He had to think that I was a genuine sadist who enjoyed abusing you."  
  
"So why tell me now then?" Nadia asked bitterly, detesting the sick joke her sister was playing. She wished this had been one of Tanya's usual nighttime visits instead. "I'm not exactly living free."

"Because the Paradisium is the best chance that we'll ever have," Tanya told her. "It took years of cajoling and subtle manipulation to convince him to put the both of us in the Game."

"We're locked in a box underground," Nadia reminded her. "This isn't exactly an improvement over home."

"Not yet. But tomorrow will be different. Plenty of people around, light security, and multiple avenues of escape. If we act in tandem, we can be out the door before they know what's happening."

Nadia hated how tempted she was to give in. "You think you can just walk in here and say all this?" she snarled instead. "After treating me like garbage, after hurting me and raping me and humiliating me for years, all it takes is an apology and a lame excuse, and I'm supposed to smile and hug you and say we're sisters again? Do you have even the slightest shred of **proof** for this bullshit?" She couldn't tell which answer would hurt more.

"I do," Tanya said quietly. She pressed her right thumb against her left forearm hard enough to break the skin, then dragged it up her arm, leaving a gash several inches long. Nadia grimaced as her sister forced her fingers into the wound. "I knew I couldn't keep anything around that seemed sentimental," Tanya explained as she dug into her own flesh, "so I had to hide this. I took it the day before we turned eighteen. Told Ilya I'd cut myself trying to cook him dinner to explain away the injury." She pulled out a small and bloody plastic cylinder, no thicker than a pencil, and offered it to Nadia. "Here."

Nadia hesitantly took the tube. There was a cap on one end, and she removed it to find something rolled up inside the tube. It took a minute to ease it out, and then she unrolled it and stared at it in shock. It was a Polaroid photograph, and a familiar one. Young Nadia and Tanya stood side by side, grinning, in one of the hallways of Paragon. One of the researchers who'd treated them more kindly than most had taken it on their fifth birthday and given it to them as a present. Tanya had insisted Nadia keep it. There were various records and video recordings documenting their childhood, but this was, as far as she knew, the only real photo of the two of them together. Nadia had treasured it for thirteen years, until it was destroyed with all of her other things by Tanya... or so she'd always thought.

Her fingers shook, and a teardrop fell onto the Polaroid. Tanya had kept this picture. Kept it and hidden it all this time. "You... you really don't hate me?" she whispered.

"Never," Tanya promised. "I love you, Nadia. I always have. And I'm so, so sorry for what I've had to do to you, but I swear to you, I've only ever done what I thought was absolutely necessary. I'm not trying to excuse or justify my behavior; I **am** a monster, and I can never make up for the things I've done. But tomorrow, if you help me, I'll finally have the chance to make all my sins mean something."

Nadia shook her head. She shouldn't believe a word Tanya was saying. Her sister had to be lying to her. This was going to be some elaborate trick, and when the time came Tanya would laugh in her face for being so stupid. But... but she couldn't help herself. After twenty five miserable years of life, she couldn't shut away the only chance for happiness that she'd ever had. "What do you need me to do?" she asked.

"First, you need to understand that this is about more than just escape," Tanya told her. "Ilya is insane. He thinks that the other races would destroy mankind if given the chance, and he's decided that the only solution is to kill them all first. Even the Paradisium is just a stepping stone to him, a way to get access to test subjects for his projects. And soon... I can't give you the details, but if we don't do something, eventually untold numbers of people will die."

Nadia's face paled to hear that. She knew her father's opinion on nonhumans all too well, but his goal of literal genocide was new to her. He'd never trusted her with that kind of information. It explained a lot though.

"Second, I need you to take two of my fox marbles. Yours must be running low by now, and you're going to need all you can get." Tanya kissed her sister. It was far from their first kiss, but it was the gentlest one Nadia could remember ever receiving from her. She was almost sorry when it was over and Tanya's two marbles sat beside her own. She hadn't known Ilya had given her sister extra marbles, but his favoritism was hardly surprising.

"Third," Tanya said, "you're going to have to use them tomorrow."  
  
"All three of them?"  
  
Tanya nodded. "They'll make you far stronger than just one when you activate them at the same time. That's why Ilya gave me three."

Nadia tried to imagine what that kind of power could look like. She already felt superhuman when activating a single marble. "If we're going to use these to escape, though, wouldn't it make sense to split them equally?" she asked.

"They're not for escaping," Tanya told her. "They're for fighting. I have a plan for this, Nadia, a plan that I've been working on for a very long time, and for it to succeed, Ember needs to die."

Nadia felt a ball of icy dread in her stomach that had nothing to do with the marbles there. "Die? You... you mean I have to kill her?"  
  
"Yes. It's our only hope, and a powerful phoenix like her will require your full strength. I know I'm asking a lot from you. I'd do it all myself if I could, but I'm going to be busy with my own plans tomorrow."  
  
"Wait, you already know what tomorrow's competition is going to be?"  
  
"Of course." Tanya gave her a small self deprecating smile. "Ilya put some of his people inside the Paradisium to feed him info, and one of the perks of being his favorite cum dump is that he shares it with me. Do you think you can do this, Nadia?"

A week ago, Nadia would have said no. She'd killed to survive before, but never by choice, not like this would be. But now... She clenched her fist. "I have a condition," she told her sister. "If I'm going to help you, you have to help me too."  
  
"Killing Moonshine's owner, right?" Tanya asked.

Nadia was taken aback for a moment. "How did you...?"  
  
Tanya shrugged. "You started taking the game far more seriously after she died, and you know as well as I do that winning this disgusting, barbaric competition wouldn't mean much to her. But if you made it to the winners' circle, all the other owners would be there too, including the man who sent her here. Reaching him has been your goal since then."

"If you figured it out, other people probably did too," Nadia muttered darkly. She'd made Belle a promise after the werewolf's death. She was going to win this thing for her, and make her owner pay for everything he'd done. There was no chance she'd survive afterward, but her life wasn't worth much anyway.

"I don't think so," said Tanya, shaking her head. "Everyone up there underestimates us. When they look at us, all they see are helpless slaves that will obey their every command. Escape is one thing; they can't fathom the idea that we might strike back. And that will be no problem at all. You'll get your chance to kill him before we're done here, I promise. In fact, the plan depends on it. I'll need a distraction tomorrow, and you teaching those bastards not to underestimate us will be perfect."

Nadia took a deep breath. "Okay," she said. She felt like she was standing at the edge of a pit, about to jump in. The fall was all but certain to kill her, but for just a little while, she'd get to enjoy the wind on her face. "I'll do it. I'll kill Ember for you."


	16. The Final Day

Ember woke to find herself spooning Seo-yun, her arm draped over the softly snoring fox. They'd had no blankets, but Seo-yun had draped her tails over the two of them, and they'd been warmer and fluffier than any comforter the phoenix could remember. It had been years since she'd slept so well or woken up so pleasantly, and she laid there still and quiet so as not to disturb the woman's slumber, enjoying the warmth of Seo-yun's body against her own and the gentle rhythm of her breathing.

It was almost hard to believe that she'd tried to kill the woman less than two days ago. Repeatedly. She couldn't be more thankful that she'd failed. Ember had almost forgotten what it felt like to be a person, not a slave or a champion. If Seo-yun had met her another year from now, she probably would have been too far gone by then. The only thing that had stopped her from murdering the fox when she'd collapsed was remembering that it was exactly what the Paradisium, and by extension Master Sindak, wanted her to do. Sparing Seo-yun's life had been as much an act of defiance as of mercy.

But now... Ember hadn't realized how much she'd craved companionship until she'd found it again. To be around someone who actually cared about her, who touched her with gentleness and love instead of selfish hunger, was like being given a cold drink of water after years of wandering the desert. In a way, it was the cruelest thing the Paradisium could have done to her. If she won the Game again, and managed to do it while keeping Seo-yun alive, she would still end up being sent back to Master Sindak and never seeing the fox again. And that was the best case scenario. There were many other outcomes more likely and more miserable.

Ember pushed those thoughts out of her head. The future would arrive whether she worried about it or not. What mattered right now was making the most of the present, where Seo-yun was in her arms. She was more than a little tempted to wake the woman and see if they had time for another round or two, but the fox was sleeping so peacefully that Ember couldn't bring herself to wake her. She'd been through a lot in the last few days, transformed from a meek yipping pet to someone courageous enough and kind enough to risk her life trying to save someone as violent and pigheaded as Ember. She deserved all the rest she could get.

"Take care of her, Jack," she whispered quietly. Two nights ago, she'd allowed herself to cry over his death once she'd found some privacy. Her tears had been equal parts grief and joy: as much as she missed him, it was a relief to know that he hadn't been killed by Master Sindak as she'd so often feared. Or survived and then abandoned her, as her darker thoughts had often tried to convince her. From what Seo-yun had told her, he'd made some poor decisions since then, but he'd found some measure of peace at the end. He'd been a good man, and if she couldn't protect Seo-yun herself, there was no one else she'd rather have watching out for the fox. "She's going to need you."

Seo-yun would have Jack to protect her in the future, but for today, Ember was going to make certain that nothing happened to her. For five years now, she'd survived everything the Paradisium Game had thrown at her while knowing that all she was really doing was delaying the inevitable. She was already in worse shape than she'd been four years ago, and it was only a matter of time before she faltered, shattering her legacy and making everything she'd done meaningless. But now all of her long struggles finally had a purpose: they'd brought her to the here and now, where she could do some good with her life. Ember swore to herself that Seo-yun was going to survive the Paradisium Game. No matter what it took. No matter what it cost.

It felt like no time at all had passed when the morning wake-up alarm began playing in their ears. Samantha winced at the noise and felt Seo-yun doing the same, the woman groaning a little and rolling over to bury her face in Samantha's chest. The fox mask made it less comfortable than Samantha would have liked, but she wasn't about to complain.

"Time for your big day, girls!" Emmeck said through the receivers, as painfully cheerful as ever. "You have a lot of eager fans who can't wait to see how this finishes! If you could all direct yourselves to the elevator within the next five minutes, we have a special treat for you!" Samantha wanted nothing to do with the old bastard and whatever "treat" he might have in mind, but it wasn't as though attendance was going to be optional.

"I know the whole point of everything here is to torture us," Seo-yun mumbled, making no move to get up yet or break off their embrace, "but do they really need to do it so early too? Can't they at least start at noon?"

"It's not **that** early," Samantha pointed out as she pulled Seo-yun a little closer to her to savor these last few seconds of physical contact. "It's already almost dawn."

"Foxes are nocturnal," Seo-yun reminded her. "I'm used to going to sleep at dawn, not waking up for it."

"Don't know how you can stand Jack then," Samantha told her. "He's even more of a morning person than me. Used to love waking up early enough to watch the sunrise."

"That sounds horrible," Seo-yun said as she slowly pulled away and sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. "I knew it was a mistake to associate with humans." Despite her harsh words, her tone was warm, and she was smiling behind her mask.

"Yep, humans are trash," Samantha agreed easily, still laying on her side and looking up at her. God, she was so beautiful. She wished, not for the first time, that she could ever have seen the woman without her mask. Just once. "You should really stay as far away from us as possible."

"Mmm hmm." The fox bent down and kissed her. It was a short kiss, but more than enough to make Samantha's heart beat faster. "Good advice, but I'm afraid it's too late for me."

"Two minutes, ladies," Emmeck announced. "It would really be a shame if you were late for such an important occasion!"

Samantha itched to pin Seo-yun down and make her moan the way she'd done for much of last night, but she couldn't ignore the quickly approaching time limit. She settled for running a hand through the woman's hair and pulling her head down to initiate another kiss. She tried to commit everything about the moment to memory: the sweet smell of Seo-yun, the softness of her lips, the silkiness of her hair. She breathed it all in, wishing that they had more time together. But one way or another, this was it. The fox seemed to feel the same way, because when Samantha tried to break off the kiss she resisted, her mouth chasing after the woman's.

  
"Thirty seconds," said Vin, a note of warning in his voice now.

Their lips reluctantly parted, and both women climbed out of bed to face their final day together.

**********

Seo-yun tried not to look at Crikey as the elevator whirred towards their destination. She and Vorona had already been there waiting when they'd arrived just a couple seconds before Emmeck's deadline. The raven looked even more withdrawn than usual, and had refused to meet their eyes when they'd shown up. Crikey seemed plenty cheerful enough for the both of them, though. "Sounded like the two of you were wearing out your mattress last night, yeah?" she said. "Cor, it's always a pleasure to see love bloom on the battlefield."

"You know the best part of this being the last day?" Samantha asked. "Soon I'm not going to have to listen to your fake smarmy bullshit anymore."

"I can stop right now if you like," Crikey said smoothly, with no trace of her usual hodge podge accent. "There's no one left to fool, after all." She flashed Sam a smile. "Just a burned out phoenix and her four tailed fox slut."

  
"I'm not letting you win today," Seo-yun said, her tone quiet but fierce. She would've held the same sentiment even if Sam's life didn't depend on the outcome. It wasn't that she was invested in the game itself. It was the opposite: everything she'd learned about this this so-called entertainment made her hate it more, and to see Crikey act like all of this really was just some fun outing, even after seeing some of the terrible things that had happened to those eliminated, made her blood boil.

Crikey giggled in response, unfazed by the hatred radiating from the fox. "Oh, you're gonna be way too busy trying not to get eaten alive up there to worry about me, Ginger. I appreciate the thought though, it'll make my victory even more satisfying. Not that you'll be around to appreciate it."

The elevator dinged, and its massive doors slid open to reveal their final arena, where... Seo-yun blinked. She couldn't describe it as an ordinary room, because it certainly wasn't that, but it was still a far cry from anything she'd expected to see. It reminded her a little of one of the Wilmingshire's bathrooms, but on a larger scale. There were pools of water being fed by elegant fountains, and white massage tables whose perfume she could smell from here, and a row of chairs that looked straight out of a barber shop. The fox had no frame of reference for a place like this, but Morris supplied one: a spa.

There were multiple Paradisium servants waiting for them, along with Vin Emmeck himself, the mustachioed man dressed in the same frilly outfit Seo-yun had seen him in before. "It's so good to see you girls face to face again," he said, rubbing his hands together. "And in a much more manageable group than last time, eh?" He winked.

Seo-yun recalled the group of women from when she'd first arrived. There had been so many of them back then. Storm Hag. Gossamer. Moonshine. Delphyne. Qarinah. Snowflake. Betty. Dozens more that she'd known only by mask or alias. Now it was just the four of them, while all the others still suffered below them, or worse.

Emmeck spread his arms out. "I promised you girls a special treat, and I'm a man of my word! There are four hours before the final round begins, and we're going to use that time to make you shine!" He clapped his hands and servants approached to usher them. "Relax and enjoy it, girls! You've earned it!"

What followed would have been pleasant, if Seo-yun wasn't keenly aware that it was all for the sake of those eager to watch them suffer. She'd thought that living with Jessica Wilmingshire, who loved bathing and washing her pet, had taught her all about human cleaning habits, but she was sorely mistaken. First they were all made to lay down on massage tables so that servants could work some sort of sugary substance all over their bodies, gently scrubbing away their dead skin. Seo-yun expected it to be painful at first, and to some small degree it was, but overall it felt oddly refreshing. Once they were covered from neck to toe they were led to showers to wash off, and then back to the tables to have sweet smelling lotions applied.

After that they were given long massages that left Seo-yun feeling sore and relaxed, and then allowed to soak in one of the hot water pools. When they were taken out, it was time for the barber chairs, where they given manicures and pedicures before hairdressers started in on their hair, brushing and styling it. Her tails weren't overlooked either; each was shampooed and washed one at a time. By the time they were done, Seo-yun could barely recognize herself in the mirror. Her skin was now soft and smooth to the touch, and her long red hair flowed down her back in waves, each strand glossy and perfect.

Samantha was considerably less tolerant of the cleaning. Not only had she been forced to extinguish her hair, which she'd lit up the moment she was out of bed, but they'd washed all of the flammable oils out of it. It looked like there would be no fiery phoenix in the last round, though Seo-yun wouldn't put it past Samantha to figure out a way around it. The woman was a firebug through and through.

Once their hair had been made up and their nails polished, the biggest surprise of all was wheeled in: racks of formal clothing. Other than her fox skin, the last time Seo-yun had worn clothes was during one of her attempts to live outside the forest, and that had been a century ago. She'd honestly never expected to wear them again. Even Samantha seemed excited at the prospect of clothing, though she was trying to hide it. "Go ahead and sort yourselves out, girls," Emmeck encouraged. "We've brought in the finest fashion from all around the world for you today!"

It took some time for everyone to decide on an outfit. Samantha spent a good while grumbling about the lack of jeans and t-shirts, but she'd eventually chosen a red blouse and a black pencil skirt. One of the servants had looked horrified when she promptly ripped the sleeves off the blouse and tore a vertical line down the side of her dress. "Mobility," she told him as she swung her arms back and forth and kicked her legs to demonstrate. "If you wanna switches places with me, you're welcome to wear a nice fancy monkey suit while you fight for your life. No?"

As for Seo-yun, she'd been pleasantly surprised to find a hanbok among the clothing racks. The proportions were a bit different from the ones she was used to wearing, but it was still a welcome bit of familiarity. The white _jeogori_ shirt fit snugly around her chest once it was tied in place, matched with a pale green _chima_ skirt that went down past her knees. She looked down at herself, marveling at the strange sight of her concealed body, and from the corner of her eye she glimpsed Samantha watching her with interest.

"You've seen me naked since the moment we first met," she said, confused. "Why do you seem even more attracted to me now that parts are hidden?"

"Naked is sexy, sure," said Samantha with a smile. "But a good set of clothes..." She swept her gaze up and down, taking in Seo-yun's entire appearance, and the fox blushed. "Mmm hmm."

Seo-yun didn't understand her at all. Seeing Samantha clothed didn't inspire any similar feelings in her. It was just fabric in the way. The skirt wasn't even skin tight as it shifted and swayed and called attention to itself with every bob of her hips, and the blouse covered most of her chest, showing only a gentle swell that teased what lay beneath, and... oh. Seo-yun swallowed. "I guess it's not **strictly** worse to wear clothes," she admitted. Sam grinned and winked at her, and the red haired fox was quite certain the bobbing of the woman's hips grew stronger and more pronounced.

Vorona chose a low cut blue dress that was quickly tailored to fit with her wings. It was tight enough to cling to her body, highlighting all of her curves. Of the four of them, she was the only one who still looked completely miserable, her posture slumped and head down. She didn't even seem happy with her choice of clothing. Seo-yun understood when Crikey, wearing an identical dress, patted the woman on the shoulder. "See, Vee?" she said pleasantly. "I told you we'd look good like this."

"Yes mistress," said the raven quietly without looking up.

"You're twins," Seo-yun said, stunned. Between the masks and the wings, she'd never recognized the similarities between the two women before, but seeing them side by side in matching outfits made it impossible not to notice. Crikey's body was considerably less gaunt than her sister's, and her skin not so deathly pale, but Seo-yun was certain that she was right.

"You only just figured that out?" the koala asked with a grin. "Aww, poor Gingersnaps, always behind the curve. Is it because your skull's all clogged up and sticky with cum by now, or are all foxes just naturally this stupid?"

"How can you order your own sister around and make her call you mistress?" Seo-yun demanded. Of all the obscenities she'd seen in the Paradisium so far, this might have been the worst, someone with so little respect for something so precious. "You're **family**! Doesn't that mean anything to you?!"

Crikey rolled her eyes. "Spare me the lecture. Let me guess: blah blah blah only child, blah blah blah tragic orphan, right? That's the only way I can picture someone ending up so pathetically lonely that they'd latch onto a woman as worthless as Emms." She glanced over at Sam. "Oh, don't get me wrong, you look like you'd be a nice fuck, but we all know you're just another cringing little cumdump playing at being something more. Besides, what's so special about being sisters? My father pisses out of the same cock we both came out of, and you don't see me buying the toilet Christmas presents."

"Now now, girls," Emmeck admonished playfully. "Let's save the cat fighting for when the cameras are on, okay? And speaking of..." He grinned at them. "Who's ready to go out there and win this thing?"

**********

"It's been a long road," Emmeck told the audience. "And we've seen a lot of great contestants fall along the way. But here we are at last: the final day, the final girls!" Everyone cheered, and Seo-yun's face grew red. She looked away, trying not to listen. This kind of attention was somehow even worse than what was she was used to.

The final arena was not a cave, or a jungle, or an ocean, or a lair. More than anything else, it resembled the reception hall above them, only cozier and fancier. There was soft lighting, and musicians playing quiet, romantic melodies that drifted through the air. There was a main open area made up to look like a ballroom, and multiple adjoining rooms. All of the guests, mostly men but with a few women here and there, were decked out in tuxedos and fancy dresses. And masks. Each of them wore fancy opera masks, as did the servants flitting around with food and drinks, and the guards standing at alert.

The only ones without masks were the slaves servicing the men and women. They were all naked, in start contrast to the guests' fine clothing, and they looked absolutely miserable, even moreso than Seo-yun had come to expect here. They had glassy, distant stares as they followed orders with an almost frantic energy, bucking and stroking and sucking as though their lives depended on it. For all the fox knew, they did.

"Welcome to the masquerade!" Emmeck announced. "Over one hundred of our most loyal patrons have been selected to participate in a very special round of the Paradisium Game. There will be no violence today, girls!" He wagged his finger at them playfully. "Attacking any one of these fine men and women will result in immediate and permanent disqualification. Your task today is a much more important one: we want to see who can be the best crowd pleaser. Let's take a look at the scores!"

He waved a hand at the large screen behind him, and it lit up to show a graphic of all four of their scores. Vorona was at 193, followed by Crikey at 162, Ember at 138, and Ginger at 84. "Our graceful queen lost the lead yesterday as Vorona and Crikey both shot up the ranks, but we've seen her make bigger comebacks before! And if we've learned anything this last week, it's to never count Ginger out! For the next twelve hours, these lovely ladies are going to do their best to charm their fellow partygoers, because when the ball ends at midnight tonight, each of them gets to vote on who deserves to be champion! And don't worry about impartiality, folks: everyone here has forfeited any and all bets. They're not doing this for money, they're here for these wonderful girls of ours!"

Something like a sly grin appeared on his face. "And speaking of those great contestants who couldn't quite make it, it would've been such a shame to make them hang around downstairs when there's a party going on, don't you think? That's why we've taken the liberty of bringing them here, so they can join us in celebrating the end of this year's Paradisium Game!"

Seo-yun's heart leapt into her throat and she looked at the naked, dead-eyed girls out on the floor again. She hadn't seen most of them in several days, and they no longer had their masks to identify them, but it was easy to recognize them now that she knew what to look for. It seemed like almost everyone who'd been eliminated was here. She quickly scanned the crowd for Betty, but saw no sign of her or Snowflake. That didn't necessarily mean that they were dead, she told herself. She wished she could believe it.

"Those girls are going to help make today a special occasion," Emmeck said, "but let's not forget the real stars of the show! We've seen how hard these beautiful damsels will fight for the crown, but they're going to have to be lovers, not fighters today. Each precious, hard earned votes will be worth 10 entire points to our little lambs. That means while Ginger may be trailing by 109 points, getting just 11 more votes than Vorona will be enough for her to claim victory! In other words, ladies and gentlemen, this is still **anyone's** game!" The crowd cheered again. He looked at the four women. "Are you ready, girls? Our final day begins in five... four... three... two... one... **go**!"

The masked guests surged forward eagerly. None of them seemed to care much about the other women anymore, abandoning them in mid-fornication. The slaves left behind sagged to the ground like marionettes with their strings cut. Seo-yun flinched as the crowd came near, mindful of the prohibition on fighting back. Someone grabbed her arm, and she allowed herself to be herded towards the center of the room. Samantha was being forced in the same direction, and from her body language it looked like it was all she could do not to slug somebody. But then Seo-yun saw the woman flinch and let out a small whimper, all of the hostility drained in an instant and replaced with terror.

"Hello Ember," rumbled a deep voice. Its owner was masked like everyone else, but his fiery, jet black body of stone made the disguise a joke. Seo-yun had never seen such a creature in all her life, but Morris immediately and emphatically clued her in. "How I've missed your company these last few days," said the efreet. Despite the intense heat radiating from him, he wore a tuxedo was as sharp as everyone else's, the material unaffected by his flames.

Along with the knowledge of who and what he was, a torrent of rage washed over her that nearly made Seo-yun throw herself at him, and it didn't all come from Morris. This was the monster who'd hurt Sam, and both of them itched to make him pay. But she forced herself to calm down. Charging face first wouldn't help any of them right now. She hoped that he hadn't noticed her glare, though her tails were still bushy with anger.

The people pulling Samantha along released her, and the redhead immediately sank to her knees, shaking. "M-master Sindak," she stuttered.

Sindak looked at one of his companions and smiled, revealing a mouth full of rock and flames. "See? Just like I was telling you. No matter how loud a bitch might bark, she'll roll over like a puppy for her master." He turned to Seo-yun. "And this is your new friend, hmmm? Can't remember the last time you had one of those."

Samantha shot Seo-yun a quick glance before leaning forward to press her forehead to the ground. "Please don't hurt her, Master Sindak," she said plaintively.

The efreet laughed.good naturedly. "I'm not here to hurt anyone! I just want to get to know her better, give you two a little quality time in the process." He unbuckled his belt, craggy fingers moving with surprising dexterity, and revealed his cock. "Now why don't you both come over here so she and I can be properly introduced?"

Seo-yun knew better than to refuse. She began to walk forward, and when someone pushed her down onto her knees, she got the message and crawled the rest of the way. Sindak's cock was a fearsome thing that only grew more intimidating the closer she approached. It looked less like a penis and more like a thick, penis-shaped block of stone that jutted from his crotch. The surface of it was rough and uneven, and Seo-yun could already tell it would be a nightmare to have something so stiff and coarse inside her, even at room temperature. Knowing that he'd been torturing and raping Samantha with that awful thing for years made her ache inside.

Samantha crawled to him as well and began licking the rock like phallus. Seo-yun could hear the sizzling whenever she made contact, and Samantha's moans and shudders showed that the experience was agonizing for her, but she neither slowed down or stopped, licking him at a steady pace from the base of his cock all the way up to the head. She shifted a little to give Seo-yun access, moving her attention to the side of her owner's cock.

Seo-yun brought her head closer, the heat of him making her sweaty and a bit dizzy within moments. She stared at the cock in front of her face, and the cracks in its obsidian-like outsides. Fire glowed within those cracks, a deep, burning heat that made her eyes sting and her face feel dry. She timidly brought her tongue closer, knowing that this was going to be awful.

  
It was every bit as bad as she'd feared. Touching him with her tongue was like licking a hot stove, and brought to mind the hellish bath Levinson had put her through. She winced as her flesh burned, and reflexively tried to pull away, but she was far from the first woman Sindak had ever raped. His hand was already on the back of her head, cooking the skin there and making her hair feel like it was about to catch fire, and he pushed her against himself, not letting her break off the contact with him. 

Sindak chuckled as she squealed in pain, her lips and tongue pressed against his scorching cock. "What's wrong, foxy?" he taunted, mashing her face against his shaft. "I've watched you take some puny goblin dicks and play with some spiders, but I haven't seen how you handle a **real** cock yet. Too much for you?"  
  
"Don't mess her up too badly," one of the other men complained. "How am I supposed to enjoy a good blowjob from her later if your burn her lips off?"

"She'll still be a perfectly good mouth slut when I'm done with her," Sindak retorted, though he released her head from his grip. "Just one with some burn scars to remind her what happens when you play with..." He scowled down at her, most of his cheer gone. "So you're a tough little cunt, huh?"

Seo-yun's mouth hurt, but it bore none of the severe burns he'd been expecting. Her bond with Morris, the same bond that had stopped Samantha's blade from killing her two days ago, had protected her, and Sindak looked none too happy about that. He covered his slip by pulling her head towards him again. "Normally I need to give a playmate a little assistance if I don't want her to become charcoal," he rumbled. "But I guess a young, healthy fox like yourself doesn't need it. Help yourself!"

Part of Seo-yun wondered if her newfound strength would be enough to crunch his cock with her teeth, but she resisted the idea. Even if it worked, and that was a long shot, it would still be suicide. She threw herself into the task instead, slurping on Sindak's shaft despite the searing pain it engendered. Her powers were protecting her, but they wouldn't last forever; she needed to get this over with before they ran out and he got the results he'd been hoping for.

She and Samantha faced each other on opposite sides of the efreet's cock and worked in sync to please him, their tongues touching as the fox mimicked her partner's motion of base to tip. Last night that kind of contact had been thrilling, but now it was just an unwanted reminder that Sam was suffering just like she was. Worse, even, since Sindak's protection did nothing about the pain. Knowing that finishing the efreet would mean a cessation of Sam's torture spurred Seo-yun on even harder.

After a few minutes, Sindak pulled his cock away and pressed their faces together. The two women obediently kissed for him, earning them catcalls from many of the spectators. "Alright, little sluts, we've all been introduced," he said. "Now let's have some fun." He let go of them and sat down on a fancy padded chair, letting his legs spread out lazily, and patted his crotch. "Come on up, foxy. Let's find out how that cunt feels."

Seo-yun tugged her skirt down and climbed onto his lap so that she was facing away from him, trying not to show how much it hurt. Everywhere her body touched him burned, but none of it was a tenth as bad as when the head of his cock met her dry slit. She gasped in pain, rejecting every natural urge to get away from the source and instead forcing herself to sink down on it. Even without the heat, it would have been one of the most painful rapes she could recall; his cock was thick, hard, and so rough that even her power couldn't stop the shaft from scraping her inner walls bloody as it penetrated her. With the heat, it was like being fucked with a massive hot poker.

"Just a few days without me and you start getting lazy, Ember," Sindak said. "I didn't train you to just sit there like a lump. Crawl over here and tell my balls you much you missed them." Sam meekly obeyed, moving her head to begin tonguing his nutsack while Seo-yun forced herself up and down on him. Even if the horrible rape could have aroused her, his cock was hot enough to evaporate any wetness her insides produced, even her blood, ensuring she remained perpetually dry and tight as he violated her. "Mmm, there's that good teamwork we all got to watch yesterday," Sindak told them, slipping his hands under her shirt so he could palm her breasts. His blazing fingers pressed painfully into her flesh, threatening to fry her the moment her power failed her. "Make me cum, sluts."

Seo-yun was so focused on fighting through the pain that she was caught unaware when someone grabbed her head and tugged it sharply down. "You're here for us too," growled the man, pushing his cock against her lips. "Get to work." She opened her mouth and began to suck on him.

From the corner of her eye she saw someone else kneel behind Samantha so that he could rape her pussy. The woman winced as he penetrated her, but didn't let it interfere with her careful, rhythmic lapping of Sindak's balls, even when her new rapist started working his fist into her asshole. "Don't know how many times I'll get to fuck you today, fire bitch," he told her. "Can't miss my chance to stretch out both your fuckholes."

"Don't stretch her out too far," someone else complained. "I haven't shot any loads in the last month, ever since I got invited to this. Been saving every drop of cum for that whore's butt. You can ruin it after she gets what she deserves."

Sindak made a pleased noise that sounded like two boulders scraping together, and suddenly his cum was spurting inside Seo-yun. It was hot enough to scald and thick enough that it clung to her flesh, making her twist and scream as he emptied himself in her. "You're lucky my pet has so much experience making love to my balls, foxy," he told her as the last burning drops came out. "Or I might've spent the next hour in this furry snatch." He pulled out of her and wiped his cock on her ass, smearing trails of hot cum that tormented her. "We'll see if you're still lucky next time."

The man whose cock she was sucking pulled her all the way down to the ground, and shifted so that he was straddling her neck, her mouth still obediently bobbing back and forth on him. Another man knelt between her legs and started to push into her pussy, then swore and pulled out. "She's still got fucking lava or whatever in there," he complained. "Make that cheating bitch clean it up."  
  
Someone grabbed Sam's hair and dragged her over to Seo-yun's crotch, her own lower holes still getting fucked and fisted. The phoenix pressed her lips against Seo-yun's slit and began to suck noisily, draining the hot cum. Not content to wait, the man who'd tried to use Seo-yun's pussy started fucking her asshole instead, making no attempt to be gentle about it.

It felt like every man attending the ball wanted to rape the two of them. Whenever anyone finished, he was quickly replaced by another eager rapist. The women were rare, but they seemed even more sadistic than their male counterparts. "It's a shame no one ever taught you to be a truly good pussy licker," one of them declared while sitting on her face. Between the woman's wet slit over her mouth and her fingers pinching her nose, Seo-yun hadn't been able to breathe. She'd been trying her best to make the woman finish, but she kept passing out and needing to start over when she woke up. "But it's never too late to learn. Keep trying, Ginger. We'll make a proper pet out of you one way or another." It took the fox more than twenty tries to make the woman cum, and the closest she got to approval was the gush of the woman's juices in her mouth while she made Seo-yun pass out a final time.

Sometimes it amused the guests to make the two women play with each other. They would kiss, as Sindak had made them do, or clean each other's holes out, or just eat pussy while the onlookers laughed at them and made crude comments. Seo-yun knew the goal was to humiliate them, but their efforts actually had the opposite effect. Every little moment she could snatch with Sam was a blessing, and she could tell the other felt the same. The woman's tongue was always hot and eager, and Seo-yun's was no different.

"It's such a pleasure to see you in person again, Ginger," Emmeck said as his cock glided into her mouth. "I knew from the moment I saw you that you were going to be one of my favorite contestants this year, one way or another." The fox sucked on him while riding the man below her with her pussy, a third man happily drilling his prick in and out of her sore asshole. The last four men to use her mouth in this position had all roughly fucked her throat before shooting their cum into her stomach, but the portly announcer was happy to let the woman slowly service him herself.

"You have been an absolute delight these last few days," he told her while her tongue gently played with his cockhead the way he wanted. "My new regular cock holster - her name used to be Zhi Ruo, but I've just been calling her Spunk Gobbler lately - would thank you if she was here. The way I've gotten all worked up watching you made it so much easier for her to wring load after load out of me. Except for round 3, of course, where you were a little tease all day. You forced me to beat her quite severely that night for underperforming."

He laughed. "She's one of the slaves downstairs playing with the dogs right now. Seemed cruel to deprive them of their toys all day long without providing something to keep them entertained. The poor thing got it in her head somehow that she was at least going to get to see her wife down there today. You should've seen her face when she realized that all the usual playmates were going to be up here instead! Not to worry, though, I promised I'd end the night with plenty of her wife's cunt juice on my dick for her to taste later." He laughed again.

When he came a few minutes later, he spurted onto Seo-yun's mask, painting her vulpine features with cum and getting plenty of it in her eyes in the process. Someone grabbed Sam's hair and wrenched her head over, and she obediently began licking it off. "Now there's a good girl," Emmeck declared as he enjoyed the sight. He patted both their heads. "I have many more contestants to say goodbye to, but don't worry, little ladies, I'll be back soon." He reached down and fingered Sam's pussy, making her wince as she continued cleaning Seo-yun's mask. "Mmm hmm," he said, "yes, that's definitely the first hole of yours I'm going to fuck today, my lovely champion. Do your best to keep it tight until then, for your old pal Vinny."

It took nearly three hours for the number of guests interested in them to dwindle. For Seo-yun, that is. Samantha was still being used hard by as many people as could fit Both of her hands were frequently wrapped around cocks, and more than once Seo-yun was forced to watch her take two people in the same hole. Sam was clearly the more popular of the two, every man and woman there excited for the chance to rape the one and only Ember. That was why when someone grabbed Seo-yun by the hair and began physically dragging her away from the crowd, nobody tried to stop him, their attention solely on the phoenix. Seo-yun didn't bother struggling. If he wanted to rape her, or bring to a whole group that wanted to rape her, fine. Maybe it would make things a little easier on Sam.

Their destination turned out to be a smaller, more private room made up as a bedroom. She'd spotted a few others on the way, and felt confident that this place was more than just another arena created for the game. It was a regular part of the Paradisium that had been repurposed for this event. Which meant there could potentially be more ways out than just the elevator. Samantha seemed to resist even the hope of escape, but Seo-yun hadn't given up yet. The surface couldn't be too far away, and if they could just get up there...

Her wrists were bound behind her with something metallic, then she was picked up and tossed onto the bed, where she flopped down, waiting for him to come rape her. Though she tried to seem meek and unassuming, her heart was pounding. They were the only two in the room. If she could get her hands free and slip out of here, she might actually have a few moments of freedom. It wasn't much of a chance, but it was the greatest one she'd gotten so far or would likely ever get.

  
"Long time no see, fox cunt," said the man, and her blood ran cold, all thought of escape vanishing. He wore a mask like the others, but she didn't need to see his face to know him. She would never forget that voice for as long as she lived.

"I have questions," Levinson told her. 


	17. The Point of No Return

"Isn't it a lovely party, daughter?" Karakostas asked.

  
Astaria couldn't answer him, not with his cock so far down her throat he was practically violating her stomach, but he didn't seem to be expecting a response. "I do so enjoy seeing the fruits of the Game," he continued, the fingers of one hand idly playing with her hair as she served him. "Just look at those girls out there. All of them understand what they are now, and the ones who survive will have become excellent property." She gasped as he grabbed a horn and pushed her head away from him, letting her breathe for the first time in nearly five minutes. Dragon lungs were stronger than humans, but not by much, and she felt lightheaded and nauseated. Another few seconds and she would have passed out on him, an experience that was already depressingly familiar.

Her collar hummed out a warning as she sucked in air, and it took all of her willpower to force herself to stop. Her chest burned for oxygen, but she fought down the urge to take a full, **real** breath of air, and kept herself to the slow, shallow breaths that the collar allowed. Sometimes she found herself actually looking forward to having her father's prick stuffed in her mouth; not being able to breathe at all was so much easier than having to maintain the self-discipline to carefully ration her breaths, as she was required to do every other waking moment.

She didn't have time to feel sorry for herself, though, not when she was surrounded by such misery. She knew Karakostas wanted her to watch the other women and learn from their fates, but she would've done that anyway. Astaria stared at each and every one of them whenever her vision wasn't dominated by her father's crotch, committing their suffering to memory. All of them were like this because of him. All of them would **stay** like this because of her. She'd failed them.

The rabbit eared slave who'd been called Delilah was bent over on her tiptoes with her legs spread wide, a position that put much of her weight on her broken toes. Her entire body quivered with strain as the man behind her sunk his cock into the pussy she was offering up for him. "Higher, bitch," he complained, and gave her bare ass a smack that added a red hand print to several already there. The woman winced as she obeyed, forcing her ass up higher and putting even more weight on her toes in the process. He grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her, using them to push her body back and forth over his entire length. There was a quiet but constant ringing as she was fucked. Her nipples had been pierced and a single large bell put through both holes to force her breasts together. It rang and rang as her heavy breasts swung beneath her.

The man in front of her slapped her face with his stiff cock. The blow couldn't have hurt, but she still flinched like a beaten dog. "Can't even fuck and suck at the same time? Useless whore." She quickly got back to licking his shaft, slobbering over it hard enough that drool was dribbling down her chin. The entire time, her eyes remained fixed on his, wide and unblinking, as though she was terrified of looking away for even an instant.

Her body was covered in markings. They were scar tissue, not tattoos; a sharp instrument had been used to cut into her flesh, and then the wounds were seared closed to leave permanent burn scars. Most were groups of crude stick figures in various obscene poses, each centered around a rabbit eared figure they were fucking. Below every scene were tally marks, a record of all the ways the woman had been raped, and how often. The only non-artwork was on her stomach, where words were scrawled:

FAT, PLUMP RABBIT

YUM YUM YUM

The man she was sucking came first, painting her face with white slime. She continued staring up at him without blinking, even when a line of cum splattered across her right eye. Her mouth was free for only a few moments before a newcomer stepped in, grabbing her long furry ears and yanking her head into his crotch. Delilah gurgled as he began violently throatfucking her. In the middle of this, the man in her pussy came, fucking her even harder while he spurted in her. The moment he slid out of her, her shaking legs gave out and she collapsed, held up only by the grip on her ears.

Someone kicked her in the side. "Get that ass up, you lazy slut." Delilah slowly picked herself up, her legs trembling like they were going to give out again any second. "Spare me the theatrics. I said ass **up**!" The rabbit eared woman whimpered as she got back up on her tiptoes, and another hard cock pushed into her sore quim.

"The goblins are crude creatures," Karakostas said, seeing who Astaria was focused on, "but one cannot fault their effectiveness. Perhaps I'll have some of them give you lessons during the periods when I am too busy to have you by my side. After all, the only thing crueler than your lovely body going unused is you using it at less than its full potential, yes?"

"Yes, Father," Astaria said automatically.

Elsewhere, the former Storm Hag was squatting over a man, slowly bouncing up and down to fuck him with her ass. Her moss green face showed no sign of the confidence or swagger that she'd displayed on the first day, only fear and anxiety. Her body was filthy, and covered with bruises and canine bite marks. "See, sir?" she said timidly. "Jenny is very good at using her ass. She would love to spend the rest of her life pleasuring you with it every-" She cut off as the man she was riding slapped her.  
  
"Very good?" he said disdainfully. "Since when are **you** the judge of how good your fuckholes are?"

Jenny's face paled. "S-sorry, sir!" she said quickly. "Jenny is, Jenny is a very stupid girl! But she tries hard! She **wants** to be very good at using her ass. She wants you to be pleased by her service."

He rolled his eyes. "What happened to the stone cold bitch who kept running her mouth and then couldn't even make it through round one?" He idly smacked her tits around a few times. "You expect me to believe that just a few days down there was enough to fix that bad attitude?"

"My doggy masters fucked all the arrogance out of this green slut," she said in a tone that suggested it was a well rehearsed line. "Jenny is now a well behaved cunt ready to worship anyone merciful enough to take her in." Then, with an added note of desperation, "The Paradisium says that they won't make Jenny meat if she can find a new owner today. She would be such a good, hardworking fucktoy to whoever rescued her."

"And this lazy garbage is supposed to be your sales pitch?" he complained. "Put some actual effort into it, you stupid twat."

  
"Yes sir, right away sir!" she replied, and sped up, her firm ass cheeks slapping against his hips at a quick rhythm. "Thank you for telling Jenny how to better please you. She hopes she can be a good girl for you."

"I don't waste my time with **good** girls, cunt," he told her. "If you want me to buy you, you'd better be **amazing**."

"Yes sir!" Jenny assured him. "Jenny will be amazing! Jenny wants to be your amazing pet!" She took his hands and brought them to her chest, encouraging him to grope and squeeze her breasts, and began making fake sounds of pleasure his cock continued to stretch out her asshole. "There's nothing Jenny wants more in the whole world than to have you as her master!"

"Oh yeah?" her potential new owner asked, amused. "You love me, slut?"

"Yes! Yes! Jenny loves you, sir!"

"And what if..." Her entire body went rigid as he grabbed one of her fingers and twisted, bones popping. "What if I like the way your asshole hugs me when I break a finger? You still love me now?"

"I..." She was panting now. "J-Jenny's body is for her master's use... if, if he wants to-" She screamed as he broke another. "If... he... wants to use her fingers like this, then sh-she is happy to be useful..." Her hands shook as she grabbed one of her unbroken fingers and twisted it herself. "W-was that good, sir?"

"Fuck yeah it was, you little pain slut," he said, breathing heavily himself. "Go down all the way and hold still." She obediently sank down. "Now make me cum with your remaining fingers. Make me cum with your pain."

It only took two more broken fingers for her clenching asshole to send him over the edge. Jenny did her best to smile at him while he shot his seed into her ass. "S-see, sir?" she said. "That's how much Jenny loves you."

"Maybe you wouldn't be a **complete** waste of money," he told her. "Now wash your shit off my cock and balls while I decide how I want to play with you next."

"Yes sir!" She scrambled off of him and knelt between his legs, softly lapping him.

Jenny wasn't the only one who seemed traumatized after spending days with the monster dogs. Lamia and Du Jiao Shou both looked frazzled and miserable as they laid side by side on their backs, heads turned to make out with each other for the amusement of onlookers. While their tongues intertwined, each of them were being used by two men. Du Jiao Shou had her legs up in the air, and both of her rapists held them there with a hand on her ankle as they knelt and pounded her. Lamia had bent her tail in half and wedged it beneath her ass, which raised her crotch up for easier access.

At first, Astaria assumed that they were being raped vaginally and anally like so many of the other women around, but she realized the truth as she looked longer, and felt a surge of nausea. Lamia's red, swollen pussy was being stretched out by two cocks at the same time, as was Du Jiao Shou's. "I told you their cunts were still usable," one of the men raping Lamia said to his partner. "Just require a little teamwork. Fuck me though, I'd always heard nagas were tight. You could drive a bus through this one's snatch."

"At least you can get nice and deep in them now that there's no cervix in the way," pointed out one of Du Jiao Shou's rapists. He was gripping the broken stump of the qilin's horn for leverage, using it to slam into her on every thrust. "I always wanted to fuck someone right in the womb. This one's baby pocket is so soft and slippery!"

"That's all the dog cum," said his partner, snickering. "You didn't see these two when they first came in. Nobody bothered to clean them up, so they had puppy batter oozing from every end. We made them clean each other out best we could, but their tongues could only get so far. Their wombs are still plastered with the stuff."

"Oh yeah?" said the other man. "Then after we cum, why don't we see if we can wash their wombs out with a couple piss showers, then check out the difference?" There was a general chorus of agreement from all four rapists. They continued to discuss the texture and elasticity of the two women's insides, talking about the women as though they weren't even there. Lamia and Du Jiao Shou didn't reply to the cruel, dehumanizing comments, but Astaria could see tears trickling down both their cheeks as they continued to kiss one another.

"See, daughter?" Karakostas observed. "You would be just like them, if your dragon heritage had not blessed you with such a tight, resilient cunt. Show your appreciation."

"Yes, Father." Astaria got on her knees, put her head down, and used her fingers to stretch her pussy lips wide open. Karakostas' spiky cock was even more painful now than the first time he'd made her take it, though at least she could brace for it a little better now that she knew what to expect. Thanks to the lining of her pussy and rectum getting regularly scrubbed raw by his rough shaft, exposing bare nerve endings, each brutal assault inflicted more pain than the last.

Her father's hands pushed her head down further, pressing her cheek against the floor as he pounded her with enough force to shatter the average pelvis. Astaria gritted her teeth to endure the pain, focusing on keeping her fingers in place despite feeling like he was going at her with a battering ram. That he was already inside her, and no longer needed her to hold herself open for him, didn't matter. It wasn't up to her to decide when and when not to obey; when he gave an order, it was to be followed until it was replaced by another.

The position left her staring at Tempest, who had a small line of men waiting to use her. The pink haired harpy was hugging her current rapist's buttocks as she fought to swallow him up, her nose inching steadily towards his dark pubic hair. The woman couldn't breathe like that, not with a cock that big wedged that far into her throat, but she showed no interest in her own lack of oxygen. Even as her eyelids began to droop and her body shuddered with involuntary spasms, deepthroating him remained her only concern.

Tempest didn't stop when she reached the base of his cock, his shaft now a visible lump in her throat. She forced her lips open even wider, making her cheeks bulge as she took his balls into her mouth. When she let go of the man's ass, Astaria expected her to finally pull back to breathe, but she grabbed tightly ahold of her own neck instead and started pumping her clenched fist up and down. Her eyes rolled up into her head as she stroked him through her throat.

Half a minute passed like this before her rapist sighed happily, the only indication of his orgasm. Twenty seconds later he pulled his softening cock out of her mouth, all traces of cum already sucked off of it. Her airway finally free, Tempest heaved a massive breath of air... and then stopped. Though her face was still red and she was trembling, she voluntarily held her breath. The next man in line approached and she quickly gobbled him up. Astaria now understood why pink haired woman seemed so eager and devoted to deepthroating the men: she was allowed a single breath after they came, and none before.

The dragon shuddered. It wasn't just the cruelty of the harpy's situation that bothered her. The torture the woman was putting herself through was entirely self-inflicted. Astaria wasn't certain if the men even noticed what she was doing, let alone were going to enforce it. Whatever conditioning Tempest had gone through over the last few days, it was so deeply ingrained that she was following it even when she no longer had to.

Astaria watched the harpy endure another five throatfucks before she heard the hitch in her father's breath that signaled he was about to cum. She quickly let go of her pussy lips and grabbed her ass cheeks instead, pulling them as far apart as she could. She made it just barely in time; a fraction of a second later, Karakostas's final thrust went not into the bleeding pussy he'd been pummeling for the last half an hour, but right into her asshole, all the way to the hilt. Even with the forewarning, the shock to her system made her convulse helplessly.

Karakostas began to cum like that, spraying a jet of hot, thick cum into her guts. He'd told her that he wouldn't finish in her pussy again until she'd earned the right to be bred. Astaria had no idea which she hated more: him using her bowels as a cum receptacle multiple times a day, treating her rectum with no more dignity or care than he would a condom; or the knowledge of what it would mean the day that changed. The thought of being impregnated by her own father sent a fresh spasm of nausea through her.

But if it was necessary, she'd give him a hundred children. Anything to get through this.

She knew exactly why Karakostas had brought her to this party. It was one of the reasons the party existed in the first place, instead of the usual barbarism that marked the end of a Paradisium Game. He wanted to rub her nose in her failure and further break her spirit. She was to look at all of this and despair of ever putting herself in this position. How easily she could have been one of the guests instead of part of the entertainment. He intended for her to look at all this with bitter regret and wish that she had been smart enough to know her place and be the daughter he'd wanted.

Which told her that her father didn't really know her very well.

Seeing the evil of the Paradisium up close filled her with guilt and frustration, yes, but it also turned her spine to steel. Today had made it clear that as terrible as her own suffering had been these last two days, and might very well continue to be for the rest of her life, it was only a drop in the ocean. She wasn't the only one hurting, but she **was** one of the only ones who might be able to do something about it. She **would** do something about it, no matter how long it took or what she had to endure along the way. As she watched the women around her, she swore each of them a silent promise: their anguish would not be in vain.

*********

Samantha tried not to wince as another thick cock entered her asshole, her abused anal ring barely providing any resistance after so much heavy use. Why was it always the guys with the biggest dicks who wanted to cram it up her back door? Her entire rectal passage felt like it had been scrubbed with sandpaper after being fucked hard for an hour straight by one guy or another. Her knees hurt nearly as much; she'd been kneeling here for almost the entire time, getting pushed back and forth.

"Not so big and tough now, are you Ember?" the man responsible asked, burying himself in her with a sharp thrust. "Hard to keep up that fearless attitude of yours while you've got me in your ass, isn't it?"

She twisted her head to look back at him. "Wait, you stuck it in already? Shit, I thought you were just poking me with your pinky finger. You've got to warn a girl in advance if you're working with such a tiny dick."

He snarled and started fucking her roughly. Sam let her head drop down to the ground where no one could see the pain in her eyes, but she was only a few seconds into the anal rape when someone else grabbed her hair and pulled her head up to eye level with his cock. "If this mouth has time to talk, it's got time to suck, bitch," said the newcomer. Despite the order, he seemed to be in no mood for a blowjob, forcing his way down into her throat instead. As soon as he bottomed out, he grabbed the long black sash knotted around her neck, a piece of her skirt that someone had torn off, and pulled on both ends to draw it tight around her airway. "That's it, you fucking whore," he told her as she found herself unable to breathe. "Choke on my cock."

She tried to pull away to get a breath, but he tugged her back towards him with the makeshift collar, not letting her go. Her blouse was as ruined as the dress, strips of it ripped off and used to tie her hands behind her back. It was only stained and rumpled tatters of fabric that clung to her skin now, held there by drying cum as much as anything else. At least she didn't have to worry about her clothes interfering with her mobility anymore. Her face turned red as he slowly strangled her. In any other circumstance, she would've either chewed his cock to ribbons or kneed him in the balls, but it wasn't worth dying just to take out some nobody. She swallowed her pride instead and gave him what he wanted, trying to pull away from him some more just so he could enjoy stopping her. Sooner the pervert got his rocks off, the sooner she'd get to breathe.

At least Master Sindak wasn't around right now. The efreet had raped her nearly a dozen times before deciding to sample what the rest of the party had to offer. "I'll be back for the finale," he'd promised her. "Wouldn't miss that for the world. Now have fun showing everyone what a good little fucktoy you are deep down."

"I bet you don't even remember me, do you?" taunted the man choking her. "Three years ago, I spent fifty million training that kelpie, and then you came and fucked it all up." His hands twisted around the sash, knuckles white as he yanked it on as hard as he could. Dark spots began to appear in her vision. "Made me into a goddamn laughingstock when you took her out. But who's laughing now, cunt? Who's laughing now?!" She began to struggle for real, but she was far too late, and her limbs wouldn't work properly.

Samantha blacked out.

And woke screaming as something seared the side of her neck. Being burned was far from a new experience for her, but this was something different and awful. And to her horror, not affected by Master Sindak's protection; even though the direct cause of the pain vanished after just a second, she could feel the damage on her skin after it was gone.

The man who'd choked her out held up a stick. It was a metal rod with a jewel on the end, almost like a scepter, but as she looked at it more closely, and saw the smoke drifting from it, she realized the truth. "Oh, did I forget to tell you, whore?" he said, smirking. "Your master gave me a little present when I saw him a few minutes ago, his way of apologizing for his slave's rotten behavior all these years. Told me we were allowed to use it whenever you were a lazy whore who couldn't perform. Now get that throat back on my cock, slut."

When she didn't react immediately, he jabbed her with the rod again, this time on the top of her right breast. Samantha screamed as the dry ice on the tip burned her skin, leaving behind a small scar. "We fuck your brains out already?" he said crossly. "You ain't done choking on my prick until you guzzle my cum."

She quickly leaned forward to take him into her mouth before he could burn her again. If her obedience pleased him, it didn't show in his expression, but he didn't use the dry ice on her. He tossed the rod to someone else instead and grabbed both ends of her sash again. "Now where were we, whore?" He pulled the makeshift collar tight.

**********

Seo-yun must have been far from the first slave to get tied up down here, because the Paradisium had accommodations in the form of discreet but sturdy hooks embedded in the walls and ceiling at regular intervals. She was suspended from one of those ceiling hooks by a noose, a position reminiscent of the first time Levinson had raped her. Unlike back then, though, there was no ground or boxes to step on, not with her arms, legs, and tails all hogtied behind her with steel cords. She could only stare at Levinson while she slowly strangled to death, waiting for him to grant her the privilege of breathing.

He let her choke like that for nearly two minutes before he tugged on the final cord, which was wrapped around his left fist. The cord went through another ceiling hook before wrapping around her nipple rings. Sharp pain lanced through Seo-yun as she was lifted up by those piercings, and she half expected them to be torn right off of her chest. But it also took the weight off of her neck, allowing her to draw in a breath. He kept her hanging by her nipples for a few seconds, sucking in air, before relaxing his hand and letting the noose begin choking her again.

Levinson hadn't removed any of his clothing, though his zip had been undone to let his cock stand tall, a testament to how much he was enjoying her suffering. Her own clothes had been callously ripped off of her along with a few snide comments about dressing up an animal. She wondered how many decades would pass this time before the next opportunity to clothe herself. "I'll make this simple, fox cunt," the blond man told Seo-yun. "You answer my questions, and I let you get back to your party. Give me lip or try to lie, and I won't leave enough left of you to fuck. Where does that strength of yours come from?" He didn't tug on the cord again, content to let her strangle a bit longer before allowing her to answer.

Seo-yun took advantage of the time to marshal her thoughts. She didn't know how he'd gotten in here, or why he was dressed like one of the guards, but that didn't especially matter right now. What was she going to tell him? The truth? On the one hand, she had nothing to lose from it. She was fairly certain that he couldn't duplicate the feat, or rip Morris's soul out of her, so he couldn't do much with the knowledge. On the other hand...

He pulled her up by her nipples again, and she had to gasp for breath a few times before she could speak. "No," she wheezed eventually. "You get nothing from me." Her skin was gone forever because of him. Her foxfire was gone forever because of him. Morris was dead because of him. She'd rather see all her remaining tails cut off than give him an inch.

Levinson's entire body stiffened in anger, and he let her drop. "I should've known that rich bitch wouldn't treat you right. She let you start thinking you were a person again."  
  
It was hard to laugh while being strangled, but Seo-yun gave it a try anyway. He thought she was refusing him because of **Jessica**? Seo-yun finally realized something that she should have figured out a long time ago: Levinson was an idiot. A sociopath and a sadist too, and someone she had every reason to be terrified of, but an idiot nonetheless.

Levinson's reaction to her laughter was to pull out his long hunting knife and stab her in the stomach. The blade was ice cold, and when he twisted it, agony radiated through her entire body. "Stupid fucking animal," he hissed. "Do you think I care about the Paradisium's rules?" He yanked the knife out of her, spending out a spray of blood, then drove it right back in, choosing a spot just a few inches away. "As far as I'm concerned, you're already meat. I'll skin you alive and start ripping chunks out of you if that's what will make you remember your place."

  
Her heartbeat was pounding in her ears by the time he stepped back, leaving the knife buried in her, and pulled the cord to lift her up again. This time he didn't give her the chance to speak. She barely managed a single breath before she was dropped again, and her flesh was still jiggling from the impact when he assaulted her. His cock sank into her folds, breaking through her hymen. In the ten months since she'd seen him last, she'd been raped by far larger, but the fact that it was **him** inside her, that her body was being forced to give pleasure to the man that she hated above all others, brought shame and disgust that ached harder than any oversized prick could manage.

Levinson sawed in and out of her, using his hands on her hips to swing her back and forth. "You want to do this the hard way, fox slut?" he asked as he viciously raped her. "That's fine with me. My new fucktoys have been doing a good job of draining my balls, but I can always get it up for your tight furry cunt." As if to prove his point, he reared back, then slammed back into her like a brutal punch to the gut.

His cock hurt like always, but it was the knife that was the real source of torment for Seo-yun. Every push and pull jostled it inside of her, producing spikes of hot pain. Had her legs been unbound, she wouldn't have hesitated to wrap them around him to get him to finish faster, but she was trussed up like a turkey, and had to let him go at his own pace. Despite being immobilized, she couldn't just grit her teeth and endure it either. Levinson didn't bother tugging on the cord while he raped her, and she knew him well enough to knew that was deliberate. The only thing stopping her from suffocating to death was his own brutal rape of her. It didn't work on every thrust, but on the strongest ones, the ones that felt like she'd been punched in the cervix, the impact would push her up just high enough that she could snatch a tiny bit of air, if she was ready for it. She had to remain hyper vigilant of his every movement to anticipate when she'd get a chance.

The intentional symbolism of her situation wasn't lost on her. She was surviving thanks to being fucked. That was his message to her: her only purpose in life, the only reason she wasn't just buried in an unmarked grave somewhere, was that she made such a good fucktoy. Her worth began and ended with her ability to make him cum.

It took twenty minutes of rough fucking before Levinson filled her with his seed. It wasn't until every last drop was in her that he tugged the rope and finally let her take something approaching a real breath. She was so desperate at that point that she barely noticed the pain of her stretched nipples. As soon as he pulled out, some of it began to leak from her to drip onto the floor. The blond man gave the slowly growing puddle of cum beneath her a disgusted look. "Filthy beast," he said sourly, as though the mess wasn't entirely his fault.

"Are you smart enough to learn after the first time?" he mused out loud as he wiped himself off on one of her tails. "No, of course not." He yanked his belt out from his pants and folded it in half. Seo-yun winced as he started flogging her with it, snapping it across her breasts and smacking the hilt of the buried knife. "Three more times, fox cunt. Make me cum three more times, and I'll give you another chance to answer my questions. If you're too stupid to come to your senses by then..." His next swing of the belt came up from below, the stiff leather slapping her spread pussy and making her buck. "I'll have to start doing some permanent damage. Don't start thinking you've seen the worst I can do just because we had a little two week getaway together. I held back at the camp because I knew the bitch wouldn't accept a half dead lump as her new pet. But I don't need to worry about that anymore; keep being a stubborn cunt, and I'll do a lot more than just chop off a few fucking tails."

**********

Nadia swallowed the warm cum as it gushed into her mouth. When it was over, she said a respectful "thank you, sir" to the man whose cock she'd just sucked. He smiled, wiped himself dry on her wings, and walked away without a word. She wished she could take what she'd just swallowed and spit it back in his face.

Ilya wouldn't have recognized the newer, humbler Nadia. It usually took a sound thrashing or two to make her this obedient with anyone other than him or Tanya, and even those two had to lay into her if they wanted her to curb her tongue while she worked. But there was no other way to get this done.

"Please sir," she begged the next man she found, crawling to him on all fours and nuzzling his crotch. Her beautiful dress hung off her in pieces already. Men had ripped it open to gain access to her cunt and ass and tits, and more than one man had shot his cum onto it. "Please, may I taste you?" As soon as he nodded her assent, she swallowed him up with her well trained throat muscles. His pubic hair was right in front of her, and she studied the flesh above it, right where his crotch met his belly. No luck. In a better world, she'd have followed that up by chewing his cock off, but she needed to behave, so she continued to meekly deepthroat him, more eager to make him cum than he was.

Belle's owner had a birthmark in that spot. Tanya had described it to her last night, after warning her in advance about the masks. It was the only hope she had of identifying the man without having to ask questions, and questions would raise suspicion. And just like that, Nadia became a cum guzzling slut. Sucking their cocks gave her the chance to inspect them without anyone noticing.

She'd already swallowed almost thirty loads of cum, and she was growing increasingly nauseated and annoyed. The man had to be here somewhere. Unless Tanya was lying to her. There was still the possibility that the entire thing was another of her jokes, and at the end of the night she would laugh herself silly over how much semen she'd tricked her sister into drinking. That thought had never ventured too far from her mind all day long. But she refused to listen to it. If her sister was playing her, then none of this really mattered in the first place. It was all just another opportunity to make Nadia suffer, and there would be plenty more of those to come over the rest of her squalid existence. But if what Tanya had told her last night was genuine... then this would be the most important day of her life, and she wasn't going to screw it up.

"So you're Petrov's mysterious daughter," said a smooth voice behind her. "You look like just another winged slut on the outside. How are your insides, I wonder?" That was all the warning she had before the speaker grabbed hold of her hips and rammed his cock into her pussy, using enough force to make her gag on the cock in her throat and almost sending her sprawling. His hands and his cock were both strangely cold, but she didn't have much attention to spare for details like that. The fact that he was pounding her with all the gentleness of a freight train was way more pressing. She'd been fucked hard before, but this was on a completely different level. He slammed into her like he was taking a sledgehammer to her pelvis, and he was massive enough that each thrust felt more like getting stabbed than raped.

"Well, you're tight at least," he said, not easing up. "But how do you taste?" Nadia winced as his teeth found her throat and bit down sharply, sending a burst of pain through her. Her limbs began to tremble, and she suddenly felt exhausted. By the time he pulled his head back just a few seconds later, it was all she could do to avoid collapsing. "Pfah!" he said, and she felt warm wetness on her back. He'd spat on her with her own blood. "Just a common human after all."

"You certain your tastebuds are working properly, Mordred?" asked the man in her throat. "Most 'common humans' I know don't sport wings."

"These?" He grabbed hold of her wings with each hand. "Nothing more than a cheap trick. The man has even worse taste than I thought. I should tear these ridiculous things right off." Nadia whimpered at the idea, and he laughed. "Do you have a problem with that, fucktoy? Prove your twat deserves these wings, or I'll rip them off and shove them up here."

Nadia didn't know if he was just trying to scare her, and she didn't care. She couldn't take the chance. She frantically fucked herself on his cock, ignoring her exhaustion and the tearing pain every time his thickness ripped her open. Mordred laughed at her efforts. "Look at this little whore, so desperate to keep her decorations."

"Stupid little whore, you mean," complained the other man. "Can't even suck and fuck at the same time." Nadia quickly resumed bobbing her head, taking him in and out of her throat.

Both men used her for a while, neither one in any hurry to finish. Mordred alternated between her ass and her pussy every few minutes, fucking both of them hard and rough. Before long she ached so badly that it was hard to tell which one he was using at any given point in time. The other man couldn't match his power, but that didn't mean he couldn't ramrod her mouth like it was a loose twat. She choked and gagged on him, spittle running down her chin, and every sound of distress only seemed to encourage him to use her harder. Trapped between the two sadists, Nadia could do nothing but try and be a good fuck for both.

Eventually the cock in her mouth pulsed and squirted another load into her belly to join all the others. He followed it up by urinating down her throat. She was in the middle of gurgling on his piss when Mordred shot his own seed into her sore pussy. "Ugly, stupid, and lazy," he commented as she slid off of him to lay in a heap on the floor, too tired to do anything but lay there and take shallow breaths. "I can see why he was willing to send his own daughter to the Paradisium." When he spat on her this time, it was saliva that dripped down her cheek. "If I were Petrov, you'd already be meat." The other man laughed and spat on her too.

Her pussy and ass were both still throbbing with enough pain to make her want to cry, and her stomach was threatening to reject every slimy drop of semen it had been fed these last few hours. Nadia laid there half senseless, willing herself to move, when a foot stamped down on her back to pin her against the floor. "Give your father a message next time you see him," Mordred snarled. "Tell him that if he tries to interfere with my kin again, I will tear apart his entire empire with my bare hands. He would do well to remember that he and all the rest of your kind are nothing but cattle, and stapling pieces of superior creatures onto yourselves won't change that."

Nadia went into a panicked frenzy when she felt him grab hold of her wings. "No, no, please!" she cried out, twisting and turning in a useless attempt to get away. "Please, not my wings! I'll do anything, I swear, just leave them alone, please!"

He laughed as though she'd just made a joke, and there was genuine amusement in his tone when he spoke next, his words not even calculated to hurt her. "And what could an insignificant cunt like you have to offer that I couldn't just take?"

"I-aaaagh!" She screamed helplessly, unable to even form words, as Mordred ripped her right wing off slowly, like a child pulling the wing off a butterfly.

It hurt almost as much as receiving them had, but it wasn't the pain that made her wail and sob as he did the deed. She would never fly again. The only thing about her life that wasn't complete misery, and it was gone forever.

"Much better," declared the man shortly after he was done. "Now **that** tasted like a proper meal, not common human garbage." He tossed what had been her wing onto the floor, and she stared at it in horror as he walked away without another word. It looked like it had been torn off years ago, the flesh gray and decayed. Even if it could be reattached by transforming, and that was a slim chance at best, it was dead, beyond what any vulpan healing could fix.

The dark haired girl touched it with trembling fingers, stroking the crumbling gray feathers that had once been hers. I'm sorry, she whispered silently, not knowing who she was apologizing to. The wings? Herself? The poor alkonost she'd never met, who'd been mutilated for Nadia's sake? She'd tried to make the most of the nameless woman's sacrifice, but she'd failed, just like she'd failed at everything. A morbid thought came to her: if she cut herself open and looked inside, would she find that the rest of her was in the same state, dead and rotting? It felt that way to her right now. It had felt that way for years. Like she wasn't even truly alive anymore, just some shambling, grotesque mockery of life being ordered around and put to use.

She remained on the floor for a few minutes, curled up into a ball weeping, until she was able to find the strength to push aside her darker impulses and get back up. She had a mission to do, she reminded herself. For Belle. It didn't matter anymore if Tanya was telling the truth or not. This was all she had left now.

Nadia rose unsteadily onto all fours, Mordred's cum spilling down the back of her legs, and tottered away to continue her search.

**********

"Look, I'm fucking trying, okay?" Samantha snarled, and immediately recoiled as a dry ice rod was jabbed against her left tit.

"Nobody cares about try, slut," said the wielder. "You do it, or you burn." A sly smile appeared on his face and he brandished the rod. He wasn't the man who'd first burned her, nor was that the same rod. Master Sindak had apparently been giving the damn things out like candy, and it seemed like every other person in the ball had one by now. "Not that I'm in any hurry. I love sticking you with this thing."

Sam bit back another angry response and focused on the task at hand. She squatted low, ignoring the protests of her leg muscles. They were already screaming when her thigh brushed against the cock waiting for her. She adjusted her stance and lowered herself further, letting it sink into her, not stopping until her ass touched the hips of the man lying beneath her. She badly wanted to put her weight on him and let her legs rest, but that was why they'd burned her ass cheek three tries ago. So instead she raised herself slightly, not allowing herself to relieve any of the strain on her legs.

That was the easy part done. Samantha slowly bent her body backwards, careful not to let the cock slip out like she had last time. When her upper body was nearly parallel to the ground, she opened her mouth to accept the second waiting cock. She couldn't lean back far enough to get him into her throat, not without falling over like she'd done too many times now, so she settled for letting his head rub against her tongue.

Now that she was in position, the third man straddled her and pushed his cock into the valley of her tits. With her head bent back, she couldn't even look at him, but she could feel his fat prick on her skin all too well. "Get to it, whore," he said.

Her hands were no longer tied behind her back, but that was little comfort. They'd found an even more humiliating way of binding her. Someone had produced some wrist cuffs, and they'd locked them to her nipple rings after tearing what was left of her blouse away, leaving her arms half-raised like a dog begging for treats. She twisted her hands around so she could grab the sides of her breasts and squish them against the cock between them. Then she took a deep breath and started to move, rising carefully up from her squat. Not to a standing position - God, she wished she could just fucking stand up for a little while - only high enough to travel up the length of the cock shaft. When she felt the head against her pussy lips, that was her cue to start going back down.

It wasn't a particularly satisfying way to fuck her. She could've named twenty positions off the top of her head that would be more enjoyable for the both of them. But as they'd made very clear, this wasn't about enjoyment, it was about revenge. The guy she was pleasuring with her pussy had bet half his fortune that she wouldn't become a champion three years in a row. And now she had to suffer because he'd been an idiot.

Her tongue swirled around the cock in her mouth as she started to suck on it in earnest. Unable to reach the sensitive underside of the shaft, she turned her efforts to the head, lapping it feverishly. Its owner had sent one of his favorite slaves to the Paradisium Game last year. Thanks to Sam, she hadn't been able to get any ribbons on the first day, and spent the entire game getting reamed out by zombies. She'd survived, but what was left had been, to use her owner's wording, like trying to fuck a subway tunnel.

The third man had been a participant in this year's game. He was the owner of White Hart, whose antler she'd torn off as an improvised weapon. If Samantha had any doubt about what he thought of her, the way he took advantage of her being unable to see him by randomly pinching and twisting her nipples made it clear enough. She used her bound hands to massage him with her tits, wincing every time the hard shaft scraped against one of her burn scars.

Sam wished they would just fuck her and get it over with, but all three of them wanted her to do all the work. They barely moved a muscle between them, leaving it entirely on her to bounce and lick and grope. Everything about the situation was utterly humiliating, and all the onlookers agreed. "Who's a good little cock sucker?" one of them cooed mockingly, scratching her under the chin.

"Now I know why she's been such a bitch all these years," declared another. "She's just been begging for someone to shove her down and stuff her with some hard cock. The firebird probably frigs herself to sleep every night thinking about all the rough fucking she's got coming to her."

Samantha tried to ignore their barbs and focus on what she was doing. In some way, it was actually a relief that she was no longer trying to win the game for herself. Every last person here seemed to hate her, and if she'd had to try and earn their votes, she would've been... Sudden understanding turned her veins to ice. Every last person here hated her.

The revelation made her lose her balance and tumble to the ground. She curled up into a ball to protect herself as several men stabbed her arms and legs with their dry ice rods. "On your feet, bird brain," one of them demanded.  
  
"Maybe she's just too fucking stupid," one of them suggested. "Why don't we find out how many of these rods we can stuff up her cunt, and go find a girl who can actually do what she's told?"  
  
"You're... you're here because of me, aren't you?" Samantha said, panting and still curled up. "This whole party... it's for me..." The Paradisium hadn't invited people at random. Of course they hadn't. The place was run by sadists, and they'd deliberately filled it with people who had grudges against her.

This wasn't a party. It was her execution.

One of the onlookers laughed. "You're only just figuring that out, cum for brains? Fuck, now I feel even worse that my Ronia lost to an idiot like you. I knew that girl deserved to become meat for a screwup like that."

"Do you know how fucking boring it is to have the same slave win the game year after year?" said another. "Even you had to know the Paradisium would get sick of you eventually. If it were up to me, I would've just taken you out back and put a bullet in your head, but Karakostas is a drama queen." He grinned. "Not that I can complain. I forfeited twenty million dollars worth of bets for my place, and it's worth every penny to have a front row seat to this."

Samantha cried out as a rod poked through a gap in her defense and jabbed her upper thigh. The pain left her open, and someone else shoved dry ice right against her slit. The red head howled as her pussy lips were scorched. "I didn't hear anyone tell you to take a nap, birdie," someone said. "Up and at em!"

Sam's sore, exhausted body wanted to lay there forever, but the rods were a good motivator. It only took a few burns to her chest, her face, and one right on her clit to force her to her feet. "I'm doing it, alright?" she said tiredly. "I'm-" Someone cut her off with a hard slap across the face.

"I'm tired of all this fucking backtalk," he said. She remembered him as another participant from this year's game, the one who'd owned Moonshine. "Someone hold her still."

Hands grabbed her as he readied his rod, and Samantha closed her eyes, bracing for the pain. "Now pull her jaw down." She opened her eyes in a panic just in time to see him thrust the rod into her mouth. She howled and thrashed as the dry ice burned her cheeks and tongue. There were people all around her now, holding her limbs and her head, pushing her chin to keep her from opening her mouth.

  
"I'll make this clear enough that even a dumb slut like you can understand," the man said as he angled the rod. Sam gagged as the end penetrated her throat. "Sindak gave us a promise along with these rods. After you lose, he's gonna hand you over to us to play with as long as we want. All of this..." He winked at someone behind her, and the red head's screams went up an octave as someone rammed a rod up her asshole. "This is just foreplay, slut!" he shouted over her cries, and began throatfucking her.

The rush of despair hurt almost as much as the physical assault. She'd known things would have to end this way, but to stare it in the face was something different. Being revealed as meat, getting tortured to death, they were no longer just vague fates awaiting her. It was all going to happen today, and she was looking at the people who were going to do it. They were already this rough with her when they thought she was a normal slave. When they found that she was meat too...

It felt like she was raped by the two rods for hours, but it was only a few minutes before they withdrew, leaving her twitching and crying on the floor. "From now on, anytime I hear a single word of disrespect from that fuckhole mouth of yours," Moonshine's owner said, "I'm gonna take it to mean 'please let me deepthroat that rod of yours again', got it?" When she didn't respond, he kicked her in the side. " **Got it**?" She nodded. "Then get up, crybaby. You've got cocks to serve."

Still weeping, Samantha did as she was told.

**********

"You are certain you don't need to be out there?" Ilya asked his daughter.

"Oh Father," Tanya said lightly, "you worry too much." She was straddling him while he laid on his back in bed, her hips bobbing up and down as she rode his cock. "For the third time, yes, I'll be fine. I don't need to waste a second of my time with those other men, especially when I could be spending it with you instead."

The two of them had been on their own in this private room since the round had begun. Ilya had nothing to complain about; his daughter was as excellent and enthusiastic as always. For the last five hours now she'd made love to him every which way, using her beautiful body to please him. "Besides," she purred, "we should let poor Robby have some fun on his own, after being cooped up all week."

Robert Stiles had received the honor of playing the role of Tanya's handler during the Game. Someone had to do it, and as much as Ilya had wanted the role, she could more than handle herself; it was Nadia who needed close surveillance to stop her from fucking everything up. The man was a coward and not very bright, but he knew how to keep his mouth shut, which was why he'd spent the last two decades working his way up through Paragon's accounting department. From the way his daughter described it, his orders had been to stay in his private room "directing" her, which meant staying still and keeping quiet while she did as she pleased. Right now, he was attending the ball like all the other handlers, getting to sample whatever girls caught his eye.

Ilya was almost ready to finish again when Tanya paused, a wicked smile on her face, and slid off of him. His cock twitched in frustration, but she didn't keep him waiting for long, kneeling to take him into her mouth so she could begin lovingly sucking on him. Her bright, cheerful eyes remained on his as her tongue gently played with him. "Mmm, umm shorry Faherr," she said around him. "But I jush had tuh tashe you again. 'll die if yuh don't feed me more of yuh warm, cuhreemy cum shoon."

Her statement made him stiffen, and Ilya began to spurt in her mouth. Tanya eagerly swallowed every drop and sucked the rest out of him, then wrapped her long, delicate fingers around him and got to work encouraging him to grow hard again. "So Nadia thinks we're going to try to escape today," she told him casually as she pumped her fist.

Ilya laid back and relaxed, letting his daughter work her magic. In all his life and all the many women he'd fucked, no one could make him cum harder than Tanya. It was just one of her many gifts. "And where did she get an idea like that?"

Tanya shrugged. "Because I told her so." Her fingers were wet with cum, precum, and her own juices by now. She brought them up to her mouth and sucked them clean, one by one, before stroking his shaft again. It was already starting to regain its heft, and she licked her lips at the sight. "You should have seen the stupid thing last night, Father. Seven years of being my toy, and it only took a few words to get her eating out of my hand." She giggled. "She actually believes I care about her!"

His prick was now hard and throbbing in her grip, and she released it and flopped onto her back, pulling her legs up and tucking them under her neck. "You're being so cruel right now, Father," she said with a mock pout. "How long will you make me wait to have that fat, delicious cock inside of me?"

Not long. Ilya rose and crouched over her, his cock sinking into her depths like they were made for each other. His daughter moaned at the penetration, and wrapped her arms around him. "I assume you have... a reason for this little game?" he asked as her wet hole welcomed him.

"Don't I always?" she replied. "It took twenty five years, Father, but I found finally a use for Nadia beyond being a fucktoy! I know, I'm as shocked as you are." She thrust her hips up to match his movements, her wonderful ass bobbing up and down as she went. That hole next, he decided. She always purred so happily whenever he came in her ass.

"Do I want to know the details?" Ilya asked. His arms were on either side of her head now, gripping her soft black hair, and he stared into her eyes through the mask. He wished he could rip the thing off and behold her true beauty. He missed being with her, and being inside her. Sometimes he regretted letting her talk him into sending her here in the first place.

"What, and ruin the surprise?" she said mischievously. "Let's just say that if you've ever wanted to fuck Ember, you should do it while there's still time. Which reminds me... I **do** have a little bit of business to take care of." She looked up at him with wide, wet puppy dog eyes. "Would you do me a favor, Father? A really, really big favor? Could you give your little girl a good, strong pounding? Can you fuck my tight pussy so hard that my insides are still throbbing from it when I see you again? Could you, Daddy? For me?"

He could.

**********

"Almost there, fox cunt," Levinson said. "Be a good fucktoy a bit longer and I'll let you talk."

Seo-yun felt like she'd been pulped and juiced. He'd been torturing her for hours now, and the occasional rape was the closest she'd come to a break. More of his cum dripped from her pussy and ass as she was suspended and strangled, but there was more blood than semen soaking the carpet. He'd broken bones, burned her, stabbed her repeatedly, and kept her on the verge of asphyxiation the entire time.

She was so out of it from blood loss and oxygen deprivation that it took her a moment to realize that he was letting her down, untying the steel cord of her noose from the ceiling hook. Once upon a time she might have hoped that meant she'd be allowed to breathe, but she wasn't surprised when that wish was denied. He put her face up onto the bed and retied the cord around the headboard, then cinched the noose closed to cut off her air completely while he adjusted the rest of her bondage. The cord around her nipple rings was wrapped around another ceiling hook, and hot pain flashed through her as she was lifted into the air by them before tying them off.

She now hung a few inches above the bed, suspended entirely by her nipple rings. It was an excruciating position, and it only grew worse when he knelt between her legs and pulled her towards him. "One way or another, this is the last time I fuck you, animal," he told her as he uncinched the noose just enough to allow a trickle of air, which she greedily went after. "Might as well go all out." And then he began to change.

Seo-yun had seen her parents transform between human and fox before, and this was similar, but much cruder and more destructive. If their transformation was like an elegant dance, flowing seamlessly from one form to another, Levinson's was like a car crash, everything about him suddenly and violently changing. Fur sprouted all over his body, and she heard muscles tear and bones snap as they were realigned. She stared in shock and loathing at the massive red fox he had become. He'd done this with her _yeowu guseul_. She didn't know how she knew that, but she was certain of it.

There was something about his scent too. She couldn't put a name to it, and she hadn't smelled anything like it for centuries, but at the same time it felt as familiar as her own face. And despite coming from a man she hated, she felt strangely positive associations from it. It brought back memories of her childhood, and the sense of being warm and loved. How... the knowledge hit her, and the noose restricting her esophagus was the only thing that stopped her from emptying her stomach in disgust.

It was her father she was smelling. He had her father's skin.

She recognized her father's shape in him now. It wasn't exactly the same, but he had the same broad shoulders, the same long tails. Levinson was wearing the corpse of her father, and he was about to rape her with it. Her skin crawled with revulsion as she felt his furry cock against her. He was huge, as big as anything she'd ever been forced to take, and knowing that it was at least partially based off of her father's own body brought back the urge to vomit.

His fat head ripped her slit wide open, and he wasted no time pushing his way deeper inside. Blood and cum weren't nearly enough lubrication, and her pussy walls tore as his shaft scraped against them. When he butted up against her cervix, he drew back ever so slightly, and something almost like a grin appeared on his vulpine face before he slammed forward, easily smashing through and stuffing himself into her womb. She twitched in agony over the obscene violation, but he wasn't finished.

"Spent a lot of time on boring guard duty the last couple days," he told her, his voice rough and guttural. "Gave me plenty of time to watch some of the Game's highlights, including what the mutts did to that one snake bitch. Looked like fun." He grabbed hold of her shoulders and forcefully pulled her onto him as he thrust his hips forward again, and Seo-yun almost passed out from the pain when his cock rammed into the back wall of her womb like he intended to tear through it. Her sensitive pocket of flesh was forcibly stretched around him, molding her womb into the shape of his cock.

Seo-yun was half certain she was going to split in two at any moment, and she felt a twinge of relief when she felt his balls slap against her, indicating that he'd made it all the way in, but he gave her no time to relax. He immediately wrenched his entire cock out of her, and she got a quick glimpse of its sides dyed red with her blood before he plunged back into her, bottoming out again. Her body involuntarily spasmed and she lost control of her bladder as he violently raped her womb. Every thrust was like being impaled by a battering ram, and her twisting, churning insides told her that the damage wasn't limited to her sex; having something so massive penetrate her with that much force was akin to taking a hammer to her internal organs. Levinson was literally fucking her to death.

Her entire existence became agony. Her nipples stretching this way and that as she was pulled, nearly tearing them from her chest. Being choked again, denied even that thin trickle of air as those same movements repeatedly tugged on the noose, reducing her to those frustrating tiny gasps. Her bones crushed carelessly beneath his paws as he gripped her tight. And above all that, a fresh explosion of pain from her lower half with every thrust. It was so intense that she almost didn't notice when his knot pushed into her, tearing her open even wider.

Levinson's jaws closed around her shoulder, and Seo-yun nearly went mad with fear and pain as he bit into her, ripping off a chunk of her flesh. "I told you before, animal," he growled and took another bite out of her, this time from her side. "You're already meat." The statement seemed to set him off, and Seo-yun felt the spurt of his cum in her defiled womb. The werefox threw back his head in pleasure as his sperm jetted into her, still furiously fucking her. His stream seemed to go on forever, cum gushing out of her every time he pulled back.

And then... then he was still raping her. Seo-yun went cold with dread when she realized that he'd finished ejaculating, but was just as hard as before. He raped her a second time. A third. A fourth. Hours passed as Levinson continued to violate her, his enthusiasm for the act never flagging. It became all too obvious that there was no biological limit to how long he could keep this up. He would only stop when he was ready to stop.

There were more than a dozen healing bite wounds on her body, and nearly that many loads of sperm oozing from her destroyed pussy, by the time Levinson paused, still buried inside her. "Last chance, fox cunt," he told her, his thick shaft pulsing with lust within her. "Tell me everything, and this is over. Keep being an idiot, and there will be nothing left of you but a bloody, cum soaked twat by the time I leave this room."

He was a liar. His offer might have been sincere, but Seo-yun understood the hunger burning behind his eyes. Now that he'd started feeding on her, he wasn't going to stop. But that wasn't what made him a liar. "You... you told me that no one would... ever care about me..." she said, panting. "That the only way I mattered... was making people cum..." And for a long time, she'd believed him. Even when she'd reclaimed her name and started thinking for herself again, she'd held onto that belief that she was little more than a fucktoy.

But Morris cared about her. Sam cared about her. And it was more than that. **She** cared about herself, for the first time in centuries. And she cared about everyone else down here who were being fed the same lies. "None of us... are worthless," she told him. "And all of us... matter." He was going to kill her. She accepted that. But he wasn't going to kill a beaten down slave, or a cowardly gumiho trying to hide from her past. "I'm strong because... I'm living proof... that foxes and humans... can work together..." She would die as Seo-yun, and she would meet her fate head on. "And you... can go fuck yourself... **Matt**..."

Levinon's face went dark with rage. "You fucking **cunt**!" His jaws clamped around her throat, and she braced herself for the end.

  
"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" asked Crikey.

The werefox froze. Neither of them had heard the door, but there was the woman with the koala mask standing in the open doorway, watching them calmly. "Please..." Seo-yun gasped, seeing the sudden spark of hope. "Help... he's trying to kill me..."

Levinson relaxed his jaws. "What do you want?" he asked. There was annoyance in his voice, but no sign of the anger that had been consuming him.

"There's a few partygoers headed this way," Crikey told him. "Looking to have some private play time with that one busty little brownie. Girl's gonna be a champion titfucker by the time they're done with her. But they're gonna raise a little bit of a fuss if they see what's going on here, and then no more fox privileges for you."

  
Levinson sighed, and to Seo-yun's great surprise, transformed back into a human and began untying her from the bed. "You have a better spot in mind then?"  
  
"Down the hall," the koala said promptly. "Take a right at the end, third door on your left. No one's going to go anywhere near that part of the floor all night, and if you hurry, no one will notice you dragging the chewed up slut there."

"Please..." Seo-yun tried again as the blond man slung her over his shoulder, still hogtied. "I'm not trying to win the game! I won't get in your way! Just don't let him do this to me!"

Crikey clucked her tongue in mock sympathy. "You're right, I can't just stand by and let such a travesty happen." She gave Seo-yun a smack on the ass. "You're gonna kill this poor little fox without properly stretching her asshole out first?" She whispered her next words into the fox's ear. "It would be such a shame if you died without ever getting to enjoy your daddy's prick in your butt, wouldn't it? I know how much I love taking mine back there."

A chill ran down Seo-yun's spine. "How do you-" The woman cut her off by cinching closed the noose that still hung around her neck. The fox's mouth worked, but she couldn't draw breath or make a sound.

"There, now she'll keep quiet while you move her," Crikey said. "Go now, and you can be balls deep in her before you have to let her breathe again."

Levinson grunted. "You want to help?"

Crikey made a purring sound. "Mmmm, that **would** be fun... but I left Dad waiting." She kissed him on the cheek. "You'll just have to pound her extra hard for me, okay?"

Seo-yun stared at the woman as she was carried out of the room, still trying desperately to talk. Crikey smiled back and gave her a little wave.

**********

Nadia had never imagined that she might one day feel sorry for Ember. She'd had to watch videos of the phoenix's prior performances, and the woman had come across as more a force of nature than a person. But the Ember she was looking at now seemed to have little in common with that implacable wall.

"Hurry it up, hot twat," said one of the masked men, kicking Ember squarely in one bobbing ass cheek. "There are still plenty of apologies to go." The naked woman flinched at the kick and scrambled forward, following the man who was holding her makeshift leash.

"Here's your next one," said the leash holder, stopping in front of someone. "And put some fucking effort into it this time, or we'll take a break to see who can cram dry ice in your womb first."

"Yes sir sorry sir," Ember babbled and then knelt to kiss the shoes of her new target. Her tongue scraped across the smooth leather, vigorously working to clean it. "Ember is sorry for being a stuck up cunt who forgot that she's just another fucktoy," she told the man between licks. She kept her eyes trained on his, and wore a wide sloppy grin visible below her mask as her tongue flopped around. When he lifted his foot, revealing a grimy sole, she didn't hesitate to start bathing it in her spit. "Please forgive her for being such a stupid piece of trash. Please allow her to make up for her crimes with her body. Hurt her, fuck her, do whatever you want that will make you feel better. This cum dump is at your disposal."

Her skin was littered with burn scars from those sticks many of the men held. There were hundred of them by now, permanent marks of every time she hadn't smiled enough or performed enthusiastically enough or debased herself enough.

The man was silent for a minute, grinning as he watched Ember work. "That's a mighty special tongue you've got there, phoenix," he said eventually. "So full of sass and vinegar every time I've watched you. Always wondered how a tongue like that would feel up my ass."

He wasn't the first man to suggest something like that. Nadia had witnessed one of them make the same request about an hour ago. Ember had grimaced slightly, and gotten her backside beaten bloody as a result. This time she didn't repeat her mistake. "Ember would love to taste your asshole," she said, without flinching or losing her grin. "After all, she's not much more than fuckable toilet paper!"

As Ember got to work, Nadia looked away and focused on the dick she was sucking before its owner noticed she was distracted. She'd sucked dozens of cocks already, and her stomach felt bloated. It wasn't just the cum filling her up; half the bastards here thought it was hilarious to follow their load with a piss chaser. Mindful that if she angered anyone, they might drag her away for discipline and make her lose her chance for revenge, she had to meekly accept every indignity.

Her back hurt. She was trying to ignore it, trying not to think about it, but it still hurt. She was lopsided now, and could still feel blood trickling down her side. The usual reaction from the partygoers to her mutilation was laughter, and jokes about what she must have done to earn such a punishment. Now that hours had passed and everyone had gotten the amusement out of their system, no one spared her bloody back a second glance anymore.

Moonshine's owner had to be nearby. More than two thirds of the party goers had gathered around Ember, all of them bearing some personal grudge against the redhead. Nadia just had to stay here and work through the crowd, and she was bound to find the right person eventually.

Unfortunately, that meant bearing witness to everything they were putting the phoenix through. Nadia had never felt close to the woman - respect and fear had been her two strongest emotions - but she'd never wished her any kind of harm. If anything, she'd been someone to look up to, a slave who told off the people she was supposed to grovel for, and got away with it.

And now Nadia was going to have to kill her.

It would have been easier if Ember was still acting like her usual fearless self. Nadia had told herself last night that it was kill or be killed anyway, and she'd watched enough footage to know that the phoenix was no stranger to murder. If their situations were reversed, Ember wouldn't hesitate to get rid of her.

But now, watching the helpless and abused woman, her conscience couldn't help but protest. Did Tanya really need her to kill someone like this? Her sister had seemed so certain that it was necessary. "Once Ember realizes no one there is going to vote for her," she'd told Nadia last night, "the only path to victory she'll have left will be as the last one standing. You know as well as I do how ruthless that woman is. She will kill you, me, and even Ginger to hold onto her crown." That **did** sound like the phoenix she'd seen in all the videos, but still...

Her attention was stolen by the sound of Ember screaming. Her face was still buried between the man's cheeks, but that wasn't the reason for her outburst. "Quiet down, mongrel," complained the woman crouched behind her, slapping the back of her head. "And hold still, or I'll do this with one of the rods instead." She had a lighter out, and was holding it just under her crotch, letting the flames play against the redhead's clitoris. It didn't appear to be doing any lasting damage, but it was clearly as excruciating for her as it would be for anyone.

Ember whimpered, but forced herself to remain still and quiet while her clitoris was tortured. "That's it, mongrel," said the woman. "A hot little clit for a hot little cunt. Why don't you play with your ass to show us how much you love all this attention?"

The redhead obediently nodded, still slurping on the one man's ass crack, and started finger fucking her asshole, pumping it with two fingers, then three. "She doesn't look too pleased about getting to massage her poop chute," someone pointed out. "Shouldn't that butt be wagging from side to side like a happy bitch?" Ember obeyed, shaking her ass for their amusement while being careful to keep her clit over the lighter.

"That actually felt really good when you screamed into my ass," said the man she was servicing. "Bet it would feel nice if you hummed a little song into it while you worked. Anyone got any suggestions?" Numerous songs were shouted out, but when someone suggested "Free Bird" it drew laughter from the whole crowd. The redhead began to hum brokenly and off key.

"Little dark haired slut," moaned the man in Nadia's mouth. His hands clutched at her hair and he banged his hips against her face on the home stretch. "So hungry for it... gobble my seed, whore...!" Hot cum spurted against the back of her throat, and the raven quickly swallowed every drop.

When she'd finished licking him clean and thanked him for "a yummy gooey treat", as he'd called it, Nadia surveyed the crowd, trying to decide her next target. There were still so many people left to check.

"Perfect timing!" exclaimed an approaching. "I was just wondering where the bathroom was." He pointed his cock at her and began to piss on her face, missing her mouth by inches. Nadia turned her head to catch his stream, and then reluctantly closed the distance, bringing her head closer until his prick was in her throat, pissing directly into her stomach. She scanned his crotch for the birthmark; another miss.

"God, look at this pee slut over here!" said the man happily. His words were slightly slurred, and judging by the volume of his urine, he'd been drinking heavily. "Can't get enough of it, huh?" His trickle slowed, but his dick was already stiffening. "Bladder's empty for now, but I've got another hot drink for you in my balls," he told her. Nadia resisted the urge to gag and made a pleased sound instead as her tongue began playing with him.

One of the men had the tip of his shoe pressed against Ember's asshole, which was gaping after she'd managed to stuff her entire fist in it. "Here you go, free bird," he told her. "A new toy to play with. Buttfuck my shoe." He wasn't a small man, and his foot was much thicker than her fist had been, but he wasn't asking. Ember noisily ate ass and hummed while humping the shoe, taking it deeper into her with every movement.

"Now that you've pried those slutty fingers away from your butt, I've got another use for them," said the man whose asshole she was cleaning. "Play with my cock and balls!" Ember reached around him, one hand fondling his nutsack while the other deftly stroked the length of his stiff shaft.

For several minutes the redhead remained the plaything of those three, throwing herself into all of her tasks. Sodomizing herself with someone's foot, licking ass, cradling balls, shaking her butt, humming loudly, giving a handjob, and all while keeping her clitoris parked over a hot flame. It was like an obscene dance, and the onlookers made certain the woman knew how ridiculous she looked, showering her with scathing remarks and mocking praise.

Eventually the man in front of her stiffened, and semen spurted from his cock to paint lines on the floor. Ember continued working his shaft and balls with her hands until his member was soft and limp. He offered no gratitude for her degrading service, turning around and spitting directly into her open mouth instead. "Go clean up your mess, shit breath."

The phoenix nodded profusely. "Yes sir!" The other two allowed her to crawl forward and plant her face into the carpet, licking beads of semen off the dirty fuzz. When that was done, she had to lick the shoe that had been in her ass clean as well, while pressing the hot lighter against her clitoris.

"How was she?" asked the man who'd been holding her fabric leash the whole time.

"Fucking terrible," said the man she'd just jerked off. "Lazy tongue, sloppy performance, bad attitude. Give her the full hundred." The others who'd been tormenting her nodded their agreement.

Ember's face twisted into a snarl. "You motherfuckers, I did every-grrk!" Her protest ended when the leash holder stuck his dry ice stick down her throat, making her entire body spasm. The man whose foot had been up her ass stuck his stick into that open hole, and the woman with the lighter buried hers in the phoenix's pussy.

"One!" the crowd chanted as all three began to fuck the shrieking redhead. "Two! Three!" Many of the people she'd already serviced had been more merciful. A few of them hadn't even demanded punishment when she was done. But this wasn't the first time she'd received the maximum penalty. Ember thrashed and screamed until the crowd happily finished counting up to a hundred.

When it was over, she laid huddled on the ground, head down and sobbing, and didn't respond when her leash was tugged. "Nobody said you could take a break, birdie," grumbled the leash holder, and tightened the fabric around her throat. Her sobs became guttural noises as she choked. "And here I thought your dumb cunt brain was actually learning a thing or two. Thought you might deserve to get to breathe while you went around making amends. Was I wrong?" Ember shook her head weakly. "You're gonna get back to being a smiley, dutiful fucktoy when I let you breathe again?" Shallow but urgent nods.

He let her suffer for another minute before loosening the leash. Ember gasped and panted, but when she lifted her face, there was another wide and eager grin there. "Thank you... sir..." she said. "I'm sorry to be... such a stupid fucktoy..."

"Don't just be sorry," he told her. "Be better. God, you whine even more than that mangy bitch used to."

Nadia froze.

The remaining blowjob was the longest one of her life. She wanted to race over there and check, find out if he was the right man. But if he wasn't, and she attracted attention, it would be all over. So instead of bolting towards him, she remained kneeling, carefully licking and sucking on the filthy prick rubbing the inside of her cheek. Her heart pounded in her chest as her tongue ran over the stranger's head with the care of a surgeon. She struggled to keep her expression fawning as she delicately teased his underside with her lower lip. Finish him and she could go check. Finish him and it would be time for revenge.

"Thirsty slut, aren't you?" he joked an eternity later, as she hurriedly gulped down his semen. "You might have just earned my vote, cocksucker." Nadia ignored the casual insults as she thanked him and crawled away, trying not to make eye contact with anyone; being noticed was a short step from being used.

Ember was flat on her back servicing someone new when she approached. He was straddling her chest, dick buried between her twin mounds. But he wanted more than just a simple tit fuck. The redhead held a chain in her teeth, both ends connected to her nipple rings. She had to bob her head up and down, tugging and torturing her own breasts, in order to rub them against her rapist's shaft.

It wasn't going to be easy to get him off that way, but she had plenty of motivation. Her legs were up in the air, and she was using both hands to pull her pussy and ass open, exposing them for abuse. Three men with whips were lashing her, all of them aiming for the two vulnerable targets she was offering up. Every time the tip of a whip kissed either hole, she would buck and howl, drawing cheers from the crowd. And the more time that passed, the better all three were getting with their aim.

The only person Nadia had eyes for stood to the side, idly holding the phoenix's leash as he enjoyed the show. "What's this?" he asked, amused, as she crawled right up to him. "Looking to join in?"

"Why wouldn't she?" someone nearby asked. "She probably hates the bitch as much as we do. Let her have some fun too!"

The man smirked at her. "Sure. Open up." She tried to get closer and swallow him up, but he pushed her head away. "Not like that, dummy. Only the bitch gets any of my cum today. Just kneel there and open wide."

She complied, and he began to piss in her mouth. "Don't swallow," he warned. "That piss isn't for you." By the time his stream ended, her cheeks were puffed out to contain all the urine without spilling any. "Now show the bitch over there some love."

Nadia reluctantly crawled to Ember's side and kissed the woman, letting the golden filth in her mouth pass into hers. The phoenix never stopped bobbing her head to tug on her tits, and Nadia had to match the motion to keep their lips sealed together. Watchers hooted, and the kiss ended up going on for a while before she was allowed to break it off.

"Fun enough for you?" the leash holder asked. "There are plenty more full bladders around. Think of yourself as the urinal and the bitch as the sewer. Get moving!"

Nadia tried one more time to suck on him instead, and this time received a kick to the face that loosened her teeth. "I'm not gonna warn you again, slut," he told her. "My balls are for Ember alone."

Nadia thought quickly. "Please sir, let me feed her your cum! I want to suck it out of you and spit it down that bitch's throat!"

She held her breath as the man considered her request. At last, he shrugged. "Why not?" he said. "But I'm not sticking it in a urinal. Turn around and spread your legs for me instead."

Nadia started to protest, but the words died in her throat. She numbly swiveled around and presented herself to him on all fours. The dark haired woman groaned softly as his cock sank into her slit and he immediately began pounding her.

"You're not a half bad piece of fuckmeat," he told her as he used her roughly. His hands were on her swinging breasts, molding and kneading, and he kept sticking his tongue in her ear. "Keep it up and you might just win this whole thing."

"Th-thank you-aah!" He was pinching and twisting her nipples now, and biting her ear hard enough to draw blood.

"That's it, pain slut," he breathed happily as he hurt her. "Clench me with this wet pussy." She didn't have a choice and he knew it, his constant assault on her body making her squeeze down on him involuntarily. But that didn't stop him from humiliating her about it, and there were tears on her cheeks by the time he groaned and began shooting off inside her. "Now go feed Ember that treat we just cooked up together."

Nadia nodded and crawled over to the other woman, a hand cupped over her crotch to keep his cockslime from leaking out. Ember was still hard at work and barely acknowledged her presence as the dark haired woman squatted over her head and pushed. There was a loud and obscenely wet noise that made Nadia blush, and the cum squirted out of her pussy and onto the phoenix's face.

Nadia crouched down and began the slow process of licking the semen off Ember's face and feeding it to her, one french kiss at a time. Maybe he wasn't even the right person, she told herself as she cleaned the woman up. She should go check everyone else, and save him for last.

That gave her an idea. "Sir?" she asked nervously, lifting her head up. "May I suck the last few drops out of you? I, I wouldn't want the bitch to miss part of her treat."

The man laughed. "You really are addicted to the taste of cock, aren't you, slut? Fine, fine, I'll grant your wish. Come over here and grab the rest of Ember's meal."

Nadia tried not to let her excitement show as she crawled back to him to take him into her mouth. Was it really him? Had Tanya told her the truth? Or had she just wasted precious time and humiliated herself for nothing? He...

He had the birthmark. Right where Tanya had claimed, exactly as she had described it. It was him.

This one's for you, Belle, she whispered in her head.

And then she bit down as hard as she could.

Belle's owner screamed as she ripped his soft cock right off of him with her teeth. The people around didn't understand his reaction at first, but when she spa the bloody lump of flesh out, more screams rose up all around her. A few seconds later, all the holes on her mask abruptly sealed shut, leaving her blind and unable to breathe. At the same time there was a sharp pain in her neck and her body was no longer under her control. She crumpled to the floor.

Nadia could still hear screaming, but it sounded like it was coming from somewhere far away now, and growing more distant with each passing moment. Everything was pulling away from her, or maybe it was her pulling away from everything, her consciousness disappearing down a long and dark tunnel that it would never come back from.

She prayed that for once, for just this once, Tanya was being honest with her. That the secret hope she'd never been able to cast aside was real. That the Tanya of her childhood, the sweet kind girl who had been her best and only friend, was the real one, and the vicious sadist the impostor. Deep down, she still couldn't believe it was true. But she'd already known that she was going to die today, and dying for a false hope was better than nothing.

Nadia activated all three of her fox marbles.

**********

Samantha laid on the ground, too drained to get up, as people screamed. She didn't know the cause, and she couldn't bring herself to care. She'd been running herself ragged for hours now, performing for an endless line of sadists. It was a living nightmare that promised to only get worse when the round ended and her mask came off.

Her body ached all over. There were ice burns everywhere, inside and out, alongside dozens of more conventional bruises, cuts, and welts. It hurt just to breathe. It hurt just to **blink**. The position she was in was far from comfortable: the carpet was hard and scratchy, there was drying cum and worse on her skin making her itch, and her senses were being assaulted by horrific tastes and smells. But compared to what she'd just been doing... she could have happily laid like this forever.

Sam recognized one of the voices shouting. "Clear some space, clear some space!" shouted Vin Emmeck. His voice was uncharacteristically tense and angry, holding none of his trademark showmanship. "We have a stretcher incoming, and medical facilities only a few minutes away! If you will all just remain calm..."

Someone was hurt. He couldn't be shouting about a slave; they hardly blinked when one was killed. Only one of the "real" people would garner this kind of reaction. But that didn't mean that whatever happened had affected only the owners. There could be slaves dying nearby, ignored while the guests were being treated. What if something had happened to Seo-yun...?

It was that thought that roused her, that made her push aside the pain and fight to get to her feet. She was too far gone to be saved, but she wasn't going to just sit around while Seo-yun might be in danger. The first thing she saw when she stood was a masked woman lying on the ground, and her heart leapt into her throat before she realized that it was Vorona, not the fox. Relief filled her, followed by guilt. Whatever the woman had done, it had earned her a death sentence.

The raven's body twitched.

What happened next resembled an explosion, but not one of heat or fire. Vorona's form rapidly swelled and twisted, dark fur bubbling up to cover her. For an instant, she had the form of the nine tailed dark fox Samantha had seen yesterday, but the transformation didn't stop there. Her flesh continued to warp and grow, limbs bursting out of her chest and back. Her mask shattered under the strain, revealing a young, terrified woman's face that was being molded and reshaped just like the rest of her. Sam doubled over and vomited.

When she looked up again, the transformation was complete. The fifteen foot tall creature resembled neither human nor fox anymore, its body unnatural and grotesque. Some of its teeth were too long for its mouth, and had pierced through its own jaws. Its seven limbs bent at awkward angles, and sprouted claws at irregular intervals along their lengths. Its skin had failed to keep up with the expansion, leaving patches of exposed muscle and bone. Nine tails tipped with human hands swirled around it, eighteen feet long and glistening with blood and ichor.

A single massive wing protruded from its back, and it was the only thing about the creature that wasn't deformed or rotting. It was simply a larger version of the wings it had possessed as a human, each giant feather as smooth and perfect as ever. The total disparity between the sleek, beautiful wing and the nightmare that was the rest of its form only made the monster seem even more grotesque.

The beast opened its jagged mouth and wailed, a sound of pain so loud and forceful that it sent feathers and bits of fur scattering like fallen leaves and nearly knocked Samantha off her feet. She couldn't blame the thing; its very existence had to be pure agony. As she struggled back up to her feet, its three pairs of bulging, misshapen eyes suddenly focused on her. They were like nothing she'd ever seen before, but she recognized the look in them.

Samantha ran, and the beast chased after her.

Its movements were clumsy, limbs tripping over one another, unable to keep its balance, but it was also fast and strong. As it bounded forward in its stumbling, flailing gait, it gouged chunks from the floor as though the surface was made of wet clay instead of solid stone. The people it charged through met similar fates, reduced to scattered piles of gore. Not everyone, though. Not a single slave was harmed as it cut a rambling, zigzagging path across the ballroom floor, sometimes falling and rolling more than it was running. Samantha could see that this was no miracle of random chance; despite its clumsiness and aggression, the monster was going out of its way not to hurt them. That was the only reason it didn't catch up to her and rip her apart within seconds.

That told her a few things. Samantha knew that she had no chance of beating the creature in a fair fight, or even an unfair one. If it had the same kind of regeneration she'd seen from Seo-yun, she wasn't certain anything short of a nuclear blast would kill it. Evading it was out of the question too. It was growing less clumsy with each passing second as it adjusted to its new form, and soon it would be able to hunt her as easily as a cat with a mouse.

But Vorona was still inside there somewhere, and despite the monstrous appearance, there was a good person beneath that shell. Sam could exploit that.

There was chaos throughout the entire ballroom as people everywhere ran and screamed. A large group of owners had gathered near the elevator to pound on the doors and demand rescue. Most of the guards were cowering in the corners, only equipped to bully naked women who couldn't fight back. A few were brave or stupid enough to fight back, not that it made a difference. The monster didn't even seem to notice the stun guns and cattle prods she was struck with, and after the third guard to get near her had his head ripped off by an errant tail, the rest kept their distance.

The slaves were more scattered than anyone else. Some were too injured or exhausted to move, others were bound to furniture or hanging from the ceiling. This worked to Sam's favor, creating a minefield that Vorona would have to tread through carefully. She sprinted towards the highest concentration of women, the monster hot on her heels. Vorona snapped at her, and lashed out with her tails, but the attacks were half-hearted, held back to prevent any collateral damage.

Unfortunately, the other women weren't thinking quite so analytically about the giant monster in their midst. All the ones that could move did, fleeing in all directions to get away. As their numbers thinned, the makeshift safe zone grew more dangerous, and Vorona began to get smarter about the hunt, using her tails to block Sam's routes and force her away from the more stationary women.

This wasn't working. It had only been a couple minutes, and Sam was quickly running out of options. It didn't help that she was already exhausted, while Vorona seemed to have an endless amount of stamina and only grew more adept with each attempt to kill her. Soon Sam had only one choice left: the ugly one.

She picked a pair of women who'd been bound together hand and foot, and had been trying without success to coordinate an escape. Sam dashed towards the two of them and embraced them in a hug, turning to put them between her and Vorona. If she was wrong about this, she'd not only die, she'd be taking two innocent women with her. If she was right, she'd just be a heartless bitch. She held still as the massive creature closed the distance between them, charging forward with every intent to kill.

Vorona came up short at the last second, so close that Samantha could feel her breath on her skin. It smelled awful, like rot and disease. The monster was as tense as a coiled spring, her tails whipping about behind her. Sam resisted the urge to run, and stared her down instead. "You'll have to kill them to get to me, Vorona," she said. "How much do you want me dead?" The mutated woman roared in frustration, but made no move to attack.

There was a second, louder roar, and a green dragon even larger than she was crashed into her.

The monster was knocked off her feet, and skidded across the floor until she hit the wall, putting a giant dent in it and sending paintings and other decorations flying. She was back up in an instant, just in time to meet Karakostas as he charged into her again. There was no longer anything human about his appearance. His body had become serpentine in shape, covered in gleaming metallic plates the color of seaweed. Two majestic wings hung off his back, and a long spiked tail danced in the air behind him. Broad chested and massive, he seemed to embody raw physical power.

There was a crash like thunder and the ground beneath them shook as the two collided. They seemed to be a match in strength, and the dragon's tail lashed back and forth in anger as he grappled with the monster, neither able to gain the upper hand so easily. Karakostas had centuries of experience in his form, though, while Vorona's had existed for less than five minutes. The dragon knocked the monster's limbs away as deftly as any martial artist, and Vorona screamed as his claws raked at her body, staining her fur with black, foul smelling blood.

For the first time, her aggression faltered, and Karakostas seized the opportunity to advance and put her on the defensive. His claws continued piercing through her awkward defenses to tear lines across her flesh, and when she tried to block him with one of her tails, he contemptuously ripped it off of her and threw it away. "I do not know what manner of abomination you are," he told her, voice booming, after another exchange left two of her limbs hanging uselessly at her sides. "But this is **my** domain!" His tail smashed into her side and knocked her off of her feet. "I have destroyed every challenger to my throne, and I will not be bested by a mere slave!" He tackled her before she could rise, his jaws sinking into her neck. Vorona's entire body jerked as he crunched through it, spraying more black blood everywhere.

Then it was the dragon's turn to scream as a mass of tails wrapped around him and the sounds of crackling bones and scales filled the air. Karakostas's body was lifted up into the air as Vorona rose to her feet, her injuries already gone. She threw the dragon hard enough that he bounced when he struck the floor, and when he collided with the wall he crashed right through it and into the room beyond. His body slid to a stop and lay unmoving, covered with blood and debris.

Suddenly the temperature in the ballroom grew at least ten degrees hotter as Vorona's body erupted into flames. The monster shrieked in agony and collapsed, rolling around the on the ground trying to extinguish the fire. They didn't go out, though, and Samantha knew all too well why that was. "I already had a million questions about you for your father," Master Sindak said calmly. The efreet was standing some distance away with one hand raised. His palm glowed with bright heat, even for him. "You think he'll still be willing to answer them after I kill you? Probably, right?" More fire poured out of his hand to bathe the monster.

Master Sindak didn't need to play tricks with Greek fire like Sam did. His flames would continue burning until he wished otherwise, and not a second sooner. That plus his protection had resulted in Samantha spending hours as a writhing pillar of fire on many occasions. Without that protection, most things became ashes in mere seconds when exposed to his heat. Vorona's resilience and regeneration were keeping her alive for now, but it was clearly a losing battle. The twin stenches of burning fur and rotten meat cooking were heavy and nauseating, and the monster's movements were already growing sluggish.

"I only told you to distract the ugly bitch," spat Mordred, standing to the efreet. "How am I supposed to do anything to her while she's on fire?"

Master Sindak waved his hand dismissively. "You're already protected. Go nuts."

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Mordred asked flatly.

Master Sindak returned his glare with a wink. "Hey, it was worth a try. You would've made a lovely torch." He turned back to Vorona and sent another blast of flame at her. "She's almost done anyway. If you're thirsty, go rob a blood bank or something." The creature had stopped moving, and the fires were quickly outpacing her regeneration. Already most of her fur had been burned away and wasn't coming back. The efreet glanced at Samantha and grinned. "You know, I think I just saved your life, Ember. How's that for irony?"

At the sound of Sam's name, Vorona stirred. She pressed some of her limbs against the floor, and with great effort, managed to right herself. She let out a soft but determined growl as she looked at the redhead again, and her fur started to regrow. Master Sindak responded by sending the hottest wave of flame yet, so hot that even from across the room Sam felt her skin baking from it. "Hush, mutt," he said, amused. The monster vanished from sight completely, encapsulated in a sphere of blue flame. "Hey, how do you all like your hot dogs?" he called out to the room. "Well done? I hope so, because this little doggy-"

The flames vanished so quickly that they left behind a vacuum, buffeting everyone with a brief but powerful blast of wind. When it had passed, Vorona was burnt but still upright. Her body was glowing softly, and Samantha's breath caught when she realized what she was seeing. The fire hadn't gone out. It was inside the woman, radiating from every part of her body. Even her dark bloody tails began to pulse with a blue light, and her fur gleamed slightly as it regrew.

"That..." Master Sindak paused, at a rare loss for words. Samantha hadn't seen him looking this off guard since she'd won the first Paradisium Game. "That's not..." He sent more flame at Vorona, and this time Samantha was able to witness the transformation. The monster's body soaked up the fire like water on parched dirt, and she looked stronger for it. And larger. By the time the efreet stopped, she was twenty feet tall instead of fifteen. He stared at Vorona with open fear in his eyes. "I... I don't..."

Vorona ignored him, stalking towards Samantha again. Her tails whipped out, and they were already far more controlled than before. They easily brushed Samantha's two hostages away, and grabbed the woman herself. The tail curled painfully tight around Sam's waist as she was lifted high up into the air. She looked down, into the eyes of the creature trying to kill her. Even as deformed as they were, Sam could still see the pain in those three sets of eyes, accompanied by fear and disgust. It told the redhead that this transformation had not been expected or wanted. The woman inside was more horrified by what she'd become than anyone here.

There was also unease in those eyes. Sam had seen that kind of expression in other women, the first time they tried to kill someone else in cold blood. That first time was always the hardest. She braced herself to get snapped in half, but Vorona hesitated, and then roared in pain and dropped her. Sam hit the ground hard, gasping in pain at the impact, but she didn't let that stop her from immediately crawling to put distance between them.

"Like I said," Mordred said testily. "All I needed was a damn distraction." He was standing next to Vorona, gripping her leg with one hand. She lashed at him with her tails, but there was no strength to them, and they bounced lightly off his chest. Some kind of energy was leaving the woman and traveling up his arm. He made a face when it reached him. "Even worse than before. I've had dirty ditch water that tasted better than this thing."

The light within Vorona pulsed, and Mordred cursed and snatched his hand away, the palm blackened and burnt. Vorona's tails came at him again, and then this time they sent him flying a good thirty feet. He picked himself up, looking none the worse for wear. "I'm surrounded by idiots," he muttered, and glared at Master Sindak again. "I asked for a distraction, and you go and **give it foxfire**!"

"Not exactly," said Crikey, appearing from a doorway. She sounded completely undisturbed by everything going on. "Artificial foxfire at best. Vulpan are unnatural to begin with, you know? Have a hole in them where foxfire is supposed to be. I guess when you go werefox three times over that hole becomes more of a pit, and nature does abhor its vacuums. What Nadia has now has the same shape as foxfire, but sadly it lacks that certain _je ne sais quoi_."

"What the fuck do you know about it, whore?" Mordred snapped.

The koala woman ignored him, waving a hand at Vorona. "Nadia, I thought I gave you a very simple task. You only have to kill one little woman. She's not even a real phoenix! So **why** isn't Ember dead yet?"

The monster moaned. "Hurrrrrrts," she rumbled, her voice so guttural it was almost incomprehensible. "Allll... hurrrrrts..."

"Of course does it, silly," said Crikey. "You're dying! Didn't I mention that part?” She looked her sister up and down. “And you chose such a disgusting way to go out, too! Transforming with all those marbles didn't **have** to turn you into that giant, ugly, rotting thing. It just makes you whatever you wanna be – whatever you think you **should** be – but at a price. Becoming something is easy. Staying that way is harder. Soon you're just going to melt away into a filthy puddle of sewage.”

Vorona shook her head slowly. "Wuhhhhh.... Whyyyyyyyy...?" The words were coming slightly easier now as she grew used to speaking with her new body.

  
"Because this was the most painful way I could imagine," Crikey said sweetly. "I considered lots of other ways to do it, but this was just the absolute best! I got to trick you one last time, make you act like an idiot, humiliate yourself in front of everyone, and then kill yourself through your own stupidity! I could have just had you killed and tossed in a dumpster any time I wanted, but it's so much more fun to put on a show. You can already feel your body breaking down, right? It's going to be a long, slow death for you, just like you deserve!"

"Nooooooooooooo..." groaned the creature. "Noooooooooo... you're lying... please... please be lying..." She suddenly surged forward, but not towards Samantha. She picked Crikey up with her tails and shook her. "Please, just this once... be who you used to be... be my sister! I want... want my sister back!"

Crikey laughed, unconcerned about the monster that could tear her apart with a muscle twitch right now. "God, you're such an adorable idiot sometimes, Nadia. It's almost enough to make me like you." She opened her right hand, revealing something small and white that Samantha couldn't make out. "You want the sister you had in this picture, right? In this precious artifact I kept hidden for years as proof of my love?" She tore it into pieces and threw her hands up, letting them scatter. "It was all lies, dummy! The picture is worthless, just like you!" She giggled. "Well, not entirely worthless. I knew I'd find a good use for it someday when I stole it seven years ago, and boy was it worth the wait!"

Vorona trembled, and black tears began to drip from all six of her eyes. "You..." she rumbled softly. "Youuuuuuu...."

"The really pathetic thing is how easy you were to fool," Crikey said cheerily. "So pitiful and desperate for affection that all it took was a few sappy lies to convince you that you had a loving sister after all. Do you want the real truth, Nadia? The one you've been trying to hide from all these years? I despise you. I've **always** despised you. From the very beginning, I've never seen you as anything but trash. Stupid, lazy, whiny, sentimental trash. It disgusted me when people associated the two of us together just because we came from the same womb. Thank God Father recognized my potential, and taught me that I didn't have to keep pretending to love you."

  
"That's... how you really feel...?" Vorona rasped, her voice hollow and numb. “How you've always felt?"

"Always and forever," Crikey confirmed. "Tell you what: go kill Ember, **like I ordered you to** , and I'll consider changing my mind about letting you die and teaching you how to transform back. You don't deserve to be my fucktoy, or Father's, but if you really apply yourself you might make a decent toilet, yeah? I suppose I could settle for just chopping off your limbs and letting you spend the rest of your life installed in Paragon's filthiest bathroom."

Vorona slowly lowered Crikey down without saying anything, then looked at Samantha. Tears still leaked from her eyes, but they were sharp and determined now, with none of the hesitation that Sam had seen before. They were the eyes of someone with nothing left to lose.

"Oh, before you do that, though," Crikey called out. "Our host just woke up, and I think he wants a little quality time with you. He should be showing up in three... two..."

Karakostas charged through the hole he'd made in the wall. Vorona's tails came up to intercept him, but he smashed his way through them and tackled her. His movements before had been refined and precise, a master disciplining an unruly slave. Now they were savage. He went at her in a frenzy, fangs, claws and tail meeting her own. They rolled around on the floor, locked in combat, gouging pieces of each other out.

The whole ballroom shook like an earthquake as the two titans battled to the death, and cracks began to appear in the floor and walls. "Calm down, you fool!" Mordred shouted. "You're going to bring this whole place down!" The dragon ignored him, solely focused on his opponent. The floor shuddered violently as he slammed Vorona's head against it. Cracks everywhere widened as her tails struck the ground with enough force to dent the stone.

Karakostas roared in triumph, Vorona bleeding beneath him. "I will **not** be made a fool of!" he bellowed, making everything shake. He picked her up and slammed her back down against the floor hard enough to rattle Sam's teeth. Once. Twice. Mordred was still screaming at him, but the words were lost in the din. "I will **not** bow to any creature! I am **god** here!"

He tried to slam her down again, but she rolled this time, ending up on top. "Noooo!" she growled. "I am... not your slave! I am no one's slave anymore!" The flesh around her right shoulder bubbled and warped, and a second wing burst from it, as perfect and incongruous as the first. Blood and ichor showered the room as she flapped them, slowly at first but picking up speed. As the dragon fought her, tearing off limbs and tails, she lifted them both into the air, taking them higher and higher.

When Karakostas realized what she was doing, he began fighting even harder in an effort to break free, but she stubbornly held on, growing new appendages faster than his fangs and claws could rip them from her body. "I am not a cunt!" she roared above the chaos and screams. "Or a whore, or a bitch, or a slut! I am not worthless, pathetic, or insignificant!"

The twisting, rolling tangle of bodies rose until it reached the very top of the ballroom ceiling. There, her wings unfurled to their full length, and for just a moment, there was a grace to her. A glimpse of the beautiful winged girl she'd once been. "I am Nadia, and I am better than every goddamn one of you bastards! And today I die free!"

Then she dove straight down, smashing them both into the floor and through it.

A thousand cracks split off from the pit she'd created, running up every wall, and the entire ballroom floor dissolved like falling sand. Samantha tried to find something to hold onto, but everything was crumbling. She heard screams all around her as she plummeted, and her own voice was among them. They all fell, masters and slaves alike, into complete darkness, a drop that seemed to last forever.

And then the fall stopped, and the redhead realized, to her incredible surprise, that she wasn't dead. There was something soft and flexible beneath her, that had absorbed the impact of the fall. People were moaning and crying all around her, all of them alive too. It was almost like a miracle.

And then Sam realized what the soft, sticky material that had broken her fall was: webbing.

They had fallen into the arena below.

And beneath the frantic cries of the fallen, she could hear a new sound. An angry, thrumming chittering, as tens of thousands of spiders began to wake.


	18. Game Over

When Levinson dragged Seo-yun to the other room and pushed her onto the bed, she was certain that she was seconds away from being raped, eaten, or both. To her surprise and wary relief, neither happened. The blond man seemed to have calmed down thanks to Crikey's interruption, and was no longer seething with bloodlust. Instead of pouncing on her to rip her apart, he paced around the room, saying nothing for a long time. While she wasn't in any hurry to be tortured and violated by him, the behavior frightened her. Her knowledge from Morris told her the man was a brute who usually operated on pure instinct and emotion. He was violent, cruel, and fairly predictable. When he started thinking, though, that was when he became truly dangerous.

  
Finally, he came to a stop. "You almost got away with it," he said. His tone was uncharacteristically soft, almost conversational. "I had every intention of killing the fox cunt back there, and if not for Tanya, I would be furious with myself right now for not noticing in time. But thanks to the little brat, your ploy failed, and I won't give you a chance like that again."

"I don't know what you-"  
  
"Shut up!" Levinson roared. Then, more quietly, "I wasn't talking to you." He resumed pacing again. "I should have realized the truth the moment I saw that slut fighting the phoenix. I've seen you spar before, and I knew that something about the way she moved looked familiar. But right after that, I had my hands full with the winter bitch and my new pet, and it slipped my mind. Still, I'd been wondering this whole time: how did that pathetic fox find her spine again? What happened after I sold her?" He laughed. "I never would have guessed that it happened under my very nose! You always were a smart one, Morris, I'll give you that."

Seo-yun flinched at the name. "I-"

This time Levinson grabbed her by the throat, choking her. "I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth, animal," he said coldly. "We all know you're just a worthless fucktoy. It's that traitor hiding inside your husk that I care about." He looked deep into her eyes. "I know you can hear me, Morris, can't you? And I know you care about this furry fleshlight you've been living in. So listen closely: I'm not going to kill her. No matter how much she begs. Not until I'm done with you. I'm going to take her back home with me, and we're going to find out all of your secrets. I will personally vivisect her alive to find out how you did this. So I suggest you take all that smartness of yours and spend the next few days thinking very hard on how you're going to communicate everything I want to know. If you can be a good little bitch, maybe your old pal **Matt** will even show some mercy and let the both of you die."

He let go of her finally, and she had a small coughing fit while he rolled her over onto all fours. "For now, Morris," he said, "you can watch while I rape your fox friend up the ass." There were several disgusting noises behind her, and then a pair of fox paws slammed down on the bed next to her head, and she felt the gargantuan prick that had tortured her for hours rub up against her ass crack. His head came down between her neck and shoulder to lick at her hanging breasts. "And there's no reason I can't have a snack or two while I enjoy her," he growled.

Seo-yun braced herself for the torture that was about to come, his cock already pushing against her tight anal ring.

And then the floor gave out from underneath them.

It all happened in the course of a couple seconds, catching both of them completely by surprise. There was a deafeningly loud sound from outside the room, a huge crack tore across the ground, and then they were falling. Seo-yun tumbled down for long seconds before the bed she was on smacked into something springy that arrested its fall. Dazed, she looked around, and went pale when she realized where she was: the arena that had claimed two of them yesterday.

There was no sign of Levinson anymore. Had he fallen between the webs? There was no one in her immediate vicinity, but her ears picked up voices of panicked partygoers and slaves in the distance. Seo-yun twisted around in her bonds to look below the webs and confirmed what her ears were already telling her: the spiders were waking up. There was a shifting, writhing mass of them just beneath.

She flinched, expecting them to rise up and overwhelm her in seconds, but they were moving toward the voices, not her. There were hundreds of potential egg sacs running around out there making noise, and every spider wanted to find one for herself before they were all filled up. That didn't mean Seo-yun was safe, though. They'd get around to her eventually, and then it would be a repeat of yesterday's nightmare. Except this time there was no Sam to help her, no Betty, and she was hogtied and helpless.

The red haired fox woman strained against the steel cords binding her wrists, but they didn't give in the slightest. Of course they didn't; Levinson had brought them just for her, and he'd already known about her new strength. She tried again, and didn't accomplish anything but getting her arms bloody before she gave up. It was useless. **She** was useless. She slumped down onto her side, one cheek pressed against the sheets, and let herself cry a little. She was tired, and scared, and everything Levinson had done to her still hurt so much. She was tempted to just close her eyes and sleep. She was so weary that spiders might not even wake her up when they came for her.

The vicious, violent way he'd raped her hadn't even been the worst part of the experience. He might not have been a gumiho, but she'd recognized the _yeowu guseul_ 's hunger in him, and now knew firsthand what it felt like to be on the other side of it. She hadn't violated or degraded her victims the way he did, but she **had** feasted on them, and even more brutally than he did. She had learned how to make a human last, prolonging her meal for days while they begged her for death. How many people had died cursing her? How many had suffered even worse pain than anything Levinson had ever done to her? Being raped by the werefox had thrown all of her sins back in her face. Maybe it was for the best that her life was going to end down here.

Something caught her eye: a bit of fur beneath the webs. Levinson must have fallen down there after all. She was too drained to even feel happiness at knowing the man was going to die down here along with everyone else. Except... Levinson's fur had been as red as hers used to be. As red as her father's. There wasn't much light in the arena, and it was difficult to make out color, but what she was looking at wasn't red. It was black.

Seo-yun stared in horror at the dangling cocoon just a few feet away from her. Now that she knew what she was looking at, she recognized Snowflake's shape in it. The woman had been trapped in there for an entire day now. Was she even still alive? The fox didn't know which answer would be kinder. She stared at her own future, hers and everyone else who had fallen down here. Even the slavers didn't deserve something like this.

It all felt so pointless. She'd met so many new people these last few days. Some of them had been kinder than others, but they'd all been joined together by their shared circumstances. They'd all been her allies, in one way or another, and Seo-yun had been forced to see horrible things happen to all of them. The Paradisium Game had been misery after misery piled upon people whose biggest sin was just trying to survive the hand they'd been dealt. And now all of that suffering had led them here, where they would die in the dark, their lives rendered meaningless. A final grisly, senseless tragedy.

A morbid thought struck her, and provoked a bitter laugh from her crying, bloody frame. Why was she even surprised? This was no different from the rest of her life: people were in trouble, and she couldn't help them. She'd seen variations of the same story play out again and again, and every time she was just as useless as before. Morris was the same way; they were in sync even in their despair. This time would be no different from all the others. She should just- **no**!

Seo-yun shook her head in frustration. This time **was** different! **She** was different! She felt Morris resist her, trying to drag her back down into hopelessness with him, but she fought him, her body shaking and sweating from the strain. She'd always been alone, ever since her parents' deaths. Even when the village was still around, she'd kept herself isolated, cut herself off from the people she'd cared about. She'd gone through life carrying nothing but the weight of every past mistake and failure and moment of weakness on her back, and hating herself more for each stumble.

But she wasn't alone anymore. She'd made friends while she was here. She'd learned that there were kindred spirits who were suffering just like she was. She'd let herself care about other people again, people that she would give anything to protect.

The fox strained against the cords again, putting everything she had into it. Blood flowed freely from her wrists where the steel bit into them. Come on, Morris, she pleaded. We're not going to let it happen this time. No more lying helpless while Sam gets raped. No more watching good people like Betty sacrifice themselves for us. And no more excuses about being monsters. We've both committed enough sins to damn us forever, but that's not a reason to do nothing at all.

She felt her own bones start to give way instead of the steel. If she kept this up, she was going to rip her own hands off. She pushed harder anyway. The two of them had spent their entire lives enduring everything the world had to throw at them. It was time to do more than just endure. It was time to fight back. For the sake of every woman down here who'd suffered this week. For Sam's sake. For Betty's sake. For Camiel's and Astaria's. For the sake of a pair of red and white foxes who would never forgive her for what she'd done, but whose legacy she had vowed to protect. For Morris's sake. For her own.

The steel cords around her wrists bent and crumbled under her power like old autumn leaves.

Seo-yun didn't have time to appreciate the miracle. She had people to help. She quickly undid the rest of the cords and rose to her feet to get started. The nogitsune cocoon was heavy, but her tails managed to pull it up from under the web. The fox tore at the webbing, praying that she wasn't too late.

Snowflake's ice blue eyes blinked slowly as the webbing covering her face came away, and then they focused on Seo-yun. There was pain and weariness in them that she hadn't seen before, but there was also the familiar anger, tempered only slightly by confusion. The woman was trying to say something, but her mouth was packed so tightly with eggs that even without the gag in the way they didn't tumble out. Fire. Seo-yun needed fire.

The furniture from the bedroom had fallen down along with everything else, and most of it was large enough to have been caught by the webs. Seo-yun tore open the drawers to the dresser and nightstand. The room had looked just like something out of a fancy hotel, and maybe that meant it also had... yes! The redhead grabbed the matchbook, green with an intricate dragon's head on the cover. "This is going to be unpleasant," she told Snowflake, and lit a match.

Once it was over, Snowflake spat liquefied eggs out, and soon as one of her arms were free, she jabbed her fingers into the back of her mouth to make herself throw up. More bits of eggshell came out, along with small dark lumps that Seo-yun tried not to look too hard at. "Wh... why?" the nogitsune rasped after she'd spat more goo out.

"Because you needed me," Seo-yun said, kneeling down to start pulling away the rest of the webbing.

Snowflake made an ugly croaking sound that was supposed to be a laugh. "Spare me your pity, freak. I never asked for your help."

"Too bad. If you don't like it, I can't stop you from jumping back down there. The spiders will have you cocooned again before you know it."

Snowflake didn't respond for a moment, then she slapped Seo-yun's hands away so she could rip the rest of the webbing off by herself. "If you think this will make me apologize-"  
  
"I don't," said Seo-yun, cutting her off. "I know what you are, Snowflake. And I know what **I** am: a person who can't leave someone like that when I have the power to help. You can get angry with me, you can resent me, I really don't care. I'm not going to deny who I am for you. You aren't worth that." She stood up and pulled the nogitsune to her feet with her.

The dark haired fox scowled. "Don't call me Snowflake," she spat. "At least getting eliminated means I can stop using that stupid fucking nickname he gave me. My name is Yuki."

  
"And mine isn't freak, it's Seo-yun. Now, are you going to help me save the others or not?"

"What?" Yuki asked incredulously. "Why the hell would I **ever** do something like that?"

Seo-yun shrugged. "Perhaps you're getting sick of being what you are."

A flurry of emotions that the fox couldn't identify flickered across Yuki's face before settling on anger. "Listen to me," the nogitsune hissed. "You self-righteous little-" She suddenly pushed Seo-yun with both hands. Caught off guard, the redhead lost her balance, and fell between the webs.

She'd barely started falling when one of Yuki's tails whipped around her neck to catch her. For a moment she thought the woman was actually trying to save her, until the tail tightened to cut off her oxygen. Seo-yun grabbed at it, trying to rip it off, but the nogitsune held on firmly, choking her so tightly that she couldn't even speak. 

Their silent struggle had gone on for less than ten seconds when the stench finally cut through everything else: death. Seo-yun froze.

"Oh," said a voice sourly. "It's just you, whore." The one the Wilmingshires had called Mordred drew near, bringing the stench with him. Seo-yun had glimpsed him a couple times at the party, but thankfully he'd never gone near her. The aura around him was so foul that she was almost glad Levinson had grabbed her before this creature took the opportunity to use her. "How did you get out?"

  
Yuki knelt on the ground directly above where Seo-yun hung, blocking the fox from being seen. Her body still thrummed with tension and rage, but her tone was formal and submissive. "I was able to escape after the second hatching, Master Mordred. The spiders chewed away enough of the cocoon on their way... out."

The man shaped thing grunted. "With the Wilmingshires dead, I thought this would be a good opportunity to pick up a new furry cum dump." He sniffed the air. "Was she here?" he asked.

"No, Master Mordred," Yuki said. "I haven't seen anyone since I got out."

Mordred sniffed the air again, scowling. "I'm certain that smell..." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Now that you're no longer a nine tailed egg sac, I suppose I might as well get back to beating you half to death and drowning you in my cum every day. What do you think of that, slut?"

"I live to serve, Master Mordred," the nogitsune said, and this time she couldn't entirely hide the anger in her voice. The reaction seemed to please her owner, though, and he smirked at her.

"You live to suffer, bitch," he told her. "And to be food. Maybe this is for the best after all. Now I'll get to enjoy your punishment from up close. But first, let's get out of here so you can show me how much you've missed me." He turned and began walking away without looking to see if she was following.

Yuki hurried after him, but not before dragging Seo-yun up high enough that the fox could grab hold of the webs, and then releasing the grip on her throat. Mordred spared a single disapproving glance back at the dark haired woman and she meekly sank to her hands and knees, crawling as she continued to follow. By the time Seo-yun had caught her breath and climbed back on top of the web, both of them had vanished over a hill.

She considered going after them, but it was a bad idea. The Mordred thing was dangerous enough that even Yuki of all people had tried to protect her from him. If he could engender that much fear in a nogitsune, a tired and bloodied kitsune wasn't going to have much luck, special powers or no. Besides, she had a feeling that the spiders weren't going to cause him, or by extension Yuki, much trouble. There were other people around who needed her more, and the pair had been heading away from everyone else, not towards them.

Seo-yun dashed towards the distant screams instead.

**********

Levinson loped across the bizarre landscape, mentally cursing Tanya's name. He was going to have some strong words with that girl if they both made it out of this alive. He'd been forced to abandon the fox cunt in his haste, and the stupid creature was probably already getting herself packed full of eggs again. The loss galled him, but there were bigger priorities than her.

He'd already been running for god knew how long, trying to find Ilya. The enhanced senses of a vulpan didn't mean much when everything reeked of spiders, and all the hills and valleys and walls left every vantage point riddled with blind spots. He'd been reduced to sprinting every which way, trying to spot the old man before it was too late.

Just as he was beginning to get worried, his search finally ended, and not a minute too soon. Most of the spiders he'd come across had been headed towards the elevator shaft, but not all, and these four had chosen to go their own way and pick off Ilya. They were scurrying towards him in a pack as the naked man did his best to dash from web to web trying to keep some distance between them. He was limber for his age, and the way he moved skillful, but Levinson could already smell the sweat on him and see the exhaustion in his movements.

The werefox ran right past the man and rammed into the first spider, tearing it to pieces within moments. Two of the others fell upon him, while the fourth continued to chase after Ilya. By the time Levinson had dealt with them, the man was busy beating that one to death with one of its own legs. "I appreciate the concern," said the dark haired man as he finished the creature off, "but I am not **that** old yet. I don't need to be rescued like some damsel in distress."

Levinson snorted. "Is that why you were in the middle of running for your life?"

"I had it under control," Ilya insisted. "Have you seen Tanya?"

"Not yet," Levinson muttered. "Did she warn **you** that this was going to happen?"

Ilya sighed, though his tone was more amused than anything else. "You know your sister's sense of humor. She enjoys surprises."

That was certainly true. If she already knew that they were going to be okay, not giving them any forewarning was exactly the sort of thing Tanya found hilarious. On the one hand, that meant they probably weren't in any real danger. On the other... he grit his teeth. He was **definitely** going to have a word with that brat later.

"Come on, then," Ilya beckoned. "The Paradisium should be sending security down here eventually to help evacuate, but it'll take some time. We need to go help the others."

"Why?" Levinson asked. "They're all competition at best, enemies at worst. The spiders can have the lot of them as far as I care. Probably already do."

"Because," Ilya said slowly, as though he was lecturing a small child, "I saw a giant winged fox monstrosity on the way down. When this is all over, Karakostas is going to want to discuss the fact that my idiot daughter went and got some of his customers and their property slaughtered, and I'd like to have some good deeds to point to that will persuade him not to rip my head off." He turned and began heading to the elevator without waiting for a response.

"Wait, you saw **what**?"

"Ask Tanya when you find her," Ilya said sourly, though there was still a hint of amusement to it. "I'm pretty sure it was entirely her idea."

Cursing the girl even more fiercely than before, Levinson followed after his father.

**********

It was pure chaos by the elevator shaft. Partygoers were running every which way in complete panic, trying to flee the spiders. Ironically, their attempts to escape were just making them more likely to be targeted. The arachnids were in almost as much of a frenzy themselves, eager to claim one of the limited incubators before they all ran out. The slaves that couldn't move, and therefore weren't causing vibrations, were being mostly ignored by them in favor of more visible prey. Mostly. As Seo-yun sprinted closer, she saw multiple women covered in webbing and impaled on ovipositors, and she was certain that there were more among the moaning and shaking cocoons that now dotted the area.

Not everyone was just running. An enormous green dragon could be seen below the webs, stomping and roaring. There was a great hole in the nearby webbing where he must have broken through on his way down. He was in a veritable sea of spiders, and his every movement crushed and ripped apart more of them. His presence was the only reason every person there hadn't already been overwhelmed. The vast majority of the arachnids had focused on dealing with him first, and it was only the opportunistic ones that chased after the others.

The only other person having any luck defending themselves was Sindak, but unlike the dragon, the efreet seemed uninterested in engaging. He hovered above the webs enshrouded in a sphere of flame, and from what little Seo-yun could see of his expression, he looked excited instead of scared or angry, happily watching the carnage beneath him without lifting a finger to assist.

Seo-yun glanced upwards at the massive hole above them. It looked like the entire ballroom had collapsed. No, not all; at the edge of the hole, a woman in a koala mask was leaning over, watching the chaos and death below. Crikey waved cheerfully at the fox when she saw her looking up in her direction. "That fall looked even more fun than the last!" she called out, her voice tinny and distant. "You're all making me jealous!"

  
"Help me! Help!" screamed a familiar voice from much closer. Vin Emmeck clutched at the webs, the lower half of his body hanging below them. His bright frilly clothing was ripped and dirty, and a cut on his forehead had left his face covered in blood. "Please! Somebody!" People ran past as him as he screamed, ignoring him in favor of their own survival. He was trying to pull himself up, but something below had him, and it was all he could to keep clinging to the webbing to avoid being dragged down.

He grabbed at a man's leg, and its owner screamed and kicked at him before running off, not even bothering to look down at what had touched him. "Someone help me!" Emmeck begged, desperate to gain the attention of anyone that might rescue him. "You have to-" The webbing he'd been holding onto ripped in half, and he was pulled down and out of sight into the churning sea below, the future incubator's cries still echoing.

There was too much going on for Seo-yun to carefully evaluate the best course of action, so she just ran for the nearest slave under attack. The spider was so focused on getting every last egg into the blue-haired woman's stomach that it made no attempt to defend itself or evade the fox's attack. She ripped the ovipositor right off of it, eggs spilling out, and rammed the thing up into the creature's abdomen far enough that the end came out the top. Its legs jerked and flailed wildly as its own brain was impaled by the metallic rod, and then it crumpled.

Seo-yun knelt by the woman and dug out another match. "Brace yourself," she told her. She didn't know what race the woman was or if she could survive the cleansing process, but they didn't have a lot of options. Even being burned alive from the inside would be a kinder fate than what would happen if those eggs weren't destroyed.

Thankfully, it seemed painful but not overly debilitating. The woman coughed and spat afterward, then turned her head to be violently ill. "Th-thank you," she said, still shaking with fear. "I-I couldn't... it..."

"I know," the fox told her. "I know. You're okay." She didn't voice the "for now", but she knew they were both thinking it. If Seo-yun left the woman alone, she'd be as vulnerable as before, but she couldn't very well just drag her along either.

"With me," said a quiet voice. Seo-yun looked up sharply to see a green haired woman in an emerald dress cut so low that it couldn't contain her cleavage. It was a lovely dress despite that, but the collar around her throat and the letters carved into her forehead made it clear what her status was here.

"Delphyne!" Seo-yun said, relieved to see her friend alive.

The dragon spared her a small smile, though it was marred by her obvious exhaustion. "It is Astaria now," she said, her voice still quiet. "And it is good to see you as well..."

"Seo-yun," the fox supplied.

"Yes, it is good to see you, Seo-yun. Please, bring Frostfall with me, quickly." She indicated a group of about twenty slaves huddled together some distance away. Though they possessed no weapons, they were handling themselves far better than the panicked partygoers. They'd divided themselves into three loose concentric circles. The injured women were huddled in the innermost circle, where they would be safer, while the most physically capable formed a loose perimeter to guard everyone. Some of them were bleeding heavily, and the fox saw one woman lying still on the ground, but there were also three dead spiders and no nearby cocoons.

Seo-yun nodded, helping the blue-haired woman stand so they could follow Astaria. "Did you see what happened?" Seo-yun asked as they walked, wrapping a tail around Frostfall to keep the unsteady woman on her feet as they navigated the webs.

Astaria nodded grimly and gave her a condensed explanation of what had happened above that led to the floor collapsing. As she talked, her voice remained small and even, showing little emotion, and Seo-yun realized it was because the woman was keeping herself to small, shallow breaths that didn't allow much allowance for talk. "Nadia took flight and disappeared shortly after the fall," she finished. "Did you see her anywhere?"

Seo-yun shook her head. Nadia was a mystery she didn't have the time or interest to ponder, not when there was a more pressing matter. "Where is Sa-Ember? Is she safe?"

"I cannot declare any of us safe yet, but she is alive. She was injured, both by the attack and by the abuse she received beforehand."

As they neared the group, Seo-yun finally caught sight of the phoenix. She was slumped down among the injured, her body covered with burns, cradling her side like something was broken there. When her eyes met Seo-yun's though, they lit up, and the redhead began trying to struggle to her feet, the movement obviously causing her great pain.

"What are you doing?" the fox hissed, releasing Frostfall and rushing to her. "You're hurt! Stay back down!"

Samantha ignored her complaints, a wide smile on her face, and threw her arms around her. "Oh God, I'm so glad you're okay," she breathed. "When I didn't see you here, I got worried you'd died in the fall or something."

Seo-yun wanted to yell at the woman some more, but the hug felt too good. She embraced Sam instead, trying not to hurt her in the process. "I missed you too!" she said. "What did they do to you?!"

"Nothing important," Samantha said. "Nothing I couldn't survive. What happened to **you**? You look..."

"Like I have been chewed up and spat out?" the fox asked. The bite and claw marks from Levinson were closing, but not gone, and her insides still felt as though he had tried to root a tree in them.

"No! I mean, yeah, but you look **good**."

Despite all the pain and fear, Seo-yun felt a smile creep onto her face. "I worked through a couple things, I think." She hesitated. "I want to tell you all about them, but right now I have to..."

Samantha smiled back. "Help people, right?" She gave the fox a quick kiss. "Get to it, then. I'll be okay over here."

Seo-yun forced herself to turn away, but not before giving the woman a final lingering look. She scanned the area for Astaria, and found the green-haired woman dragging an unconscious slave towards the relative safety of the group. Her progress was slowed by the need to stop every few moments to catch her breath. Seo-yun hurried over to lend a hand. "You're the one who organized everyone like this, aren't you?" she asked.

"Someone had to," Astaria said simply, as though it wasn't anything worth praising. "I can't fight without-" Her hand touched the collar at her throat, and a look of frustration replaced her previously calm features. She closed her eyes and took a slow, deliberate breath before opening them again, her expression placid once more. "But I can do this."

"Well, all I can do is fight," Seo-yun said. "So point the way."

Astaria did just that, indicating towards the south without hesitation. "I saw Iolanthe attacked a few minutes ago over there," she said. "The spiders are in the middle of implanting her, but peris are sturdy and strong. If you can get her free, she should be able to help with the defense." She pointed northeast. "After that, there's a group of six spiders that need to be dealt with. They're busy making use of two slave owners right now, but it's only a matter of time before they realize that there aren't enough holes for all of them, and then they're going to go looking for more unless they're stopped. After that..."

Seo-yun got to work.

Time passed in a blur. Looking back, the entire ordeal took less than half an hour, but it felt far longer while she was in the middle of it. There seemed to be no end of tasks. No matter how many arachnids she killed or women she protected, Astaria always had something else for her to do. She did more than just follow the woman's orders; if Seo-yun saw someone nearby that needed help, she didn't hesitate. It wasn't only slaves that received her assistance, though she prioritized them over the others. If she saw a slave owner fleeing from a spider, she'd save them just as readily. The first time she did that, she expected to see disapproval from Astaria, but the woman said nothing about it. Following that, though, the dragon's list of tasks included rescuing owners as well.

Despite all her best efforts, she was fighting a losing battle. Every spider that was killed was replaced by three more, and it was the stupid and impatient ones that died from blindly charging in one or two at a time, leaving behind the more cunning ones. The surviving arachnids quickly figured out that they were vulnerable while implanting their eggs, and began dragging their victims away instead, disappearing behind the front lines to find a place where they could turn them into cocooned egg sacs without any interruptions. Sometimes Seo-yun was able to act quick enough to intercept their targets and rescue them before they could be abducted, but not always.

"They are staging an ambush from above," said a woman's voice in her ear. Her tone was calm and collected, and for just a moment Seo-yun thought it was Celeste, but the voice was one she'd never heard before. "Through the hole in the ceiling." The fox looked up and saw what the unknown speaker meant. One enterprising group of spiders had climbed all the way up, past the arena ceiling and into the ballroom above, and were now lowering themselves down, right over the center of the injured.

The message must have gone out to all the remaining receivers, because Sam was looking at them too. "Heads up!" she yelled, and scrambled to her feet. She pushed another woman away just before a falling glob of web spit struck the spot where she'd been standing. More spit began to rain down on the incapacitated women, and some of the spiders began quickly climbing back up their lines, hauling their stolen catches with them. Most of the slaves strong enough to fight dashed into the center to save as many as they could.

Seo-yun turned back to assist as well, but the slaves weren't the only ones who had noticed the spiders' descent. Seven of their brethren were using it as an opportunity to smash into the perimeter as a unified group while the makeshift guardians were distracted. The redhead saw with horror that the two-pronged attack was going to be more than successful. The entire defensive line buckled, unable to defend against so many all at once. In a matter of moments, three women were pinned to the ground by web spit and a fourth was being dragged away kicking and screaming. Their entire flank was now exposed and helpless.

There was no way Seo-yun could fend off that many arachnids by herself, but that wasn't going to stop her from trying. She bounded towards them, still holding the ovipositor she'd been using as an improvised spear. She took a long jump, using the springiness of the webs to launch herself, and landed atop the one hauling away one of the slaves. She plunged the ovipositor tip straight down through the top of its head, killing the creature instantly, and then yanked it out and rolled off the spider before its companions could plaster her with their webbing. Its captive was partially wrapped up and Seo-yun couldn't spare the time to free her, so she dropped her spear and picked the woman up with both hands instead, then said a silent apology and flung her towards safety. Her bound form landed near some of the other women, and they began tearing off the web spit.

Seo-yun couldn't spare any attention on the woman's fate. She caught a flicker of movement below her, and dodged out of the way, narrowly avoiding an attack from a spider lurking below the strands. Its ambush foiled, it climbed up to face her head on, four others joining it. Again they demonstrated that they were more than simple beasts, because while the fox was able to avoid the next volley of web spit, not all of it was aimed at her. Three of the spiders targeted her spear instead, burying it in goo. Seo-yun had been holding the line by herself for less than a minute, and already she'd lost her only weapon and her number of opponents had nearly doubled.

They came at her from all sides, and she had a moment of relief when she saw that they were focusing on her and not the defenseless others. In the long run, it was bad news: it meant that they were cunning enough to realize that she was their biggest threat right now. Instead of snatching what they could and fleeing, they wanted to bring her down so they could capture everyone. In the short term, though, she was successfully distracting them and protecting everyone else. Now she just had to not die.

She didn't bother trying to kill her opponents. There were too many of them for that. Instead, as she frantically blocked and dodged their grasping attacks, she did what she could to cripple them, snapping off claws and breaking any leg whose owner was foolish enough to let her grab it. Whether there was eleven of them or a thousand, only so many could attack her at the same time, and if the ones nearest her were clumsy and weakened, it didn't matter how many healthy ones were stuck waiting for an opening.

It worked, for a little while. They quickly stopped trying to spit webbing at her after some of them got their own legs pinned down by friendly fire and discovered how easy it was for her to tear a trapped leg right off. But she was fighting a losing battle. She was bleeding in a hundred different places where their claws had broken her skin, and there was too much venom in her system now for her to ignore. With every passing second, it felt like someone was strapping more weights onto her limbs. She wasn't even sure if it was the poison draining her strength or simple blood loss. Either way, she soon collapsed to the ground, unable to move, let alone fight back. The spiders tore into her, eager to kill the only one standing in their way.

And then she wasn't the only one anymore.

A spider screeched as green hands grabbed two of its legs and effortlessly hoisted it into the air. Most of Storm Hag's fingers were broken, but that didn't stop her from smashing the arachnid down onto another like a club, killing them both and spraying black spider blood everywhere. She tossed the mangled corpse to the side, knocking three spiders over into a tangle of writhing limbs. Another made the mistake of charging at her head on, and was ripped in half for it. The woman's eyes were still glassy and hollow, but something stirred within them as she threw herself into the fray.

Most of the spiders weren't paying attention to Seo-yun now, focused on addressing this newest threat, but not all. Two of them ignored Storm Hag to encase Seo-yun in spit instead, seizing the opportunity that had been handed to them. The helpless fox laid on her side, paralyzed and bound, as a pair of ovipositors poked and rubbed at her body, hunting for the orifices that could be stuffed with eggs once again. She felt the sharp tip of one nick her pussy lips before sinking into her body, thrusting forward until it hit her cervix and pierced through it. At the same time, the other spider was forcing its own ovipositor down her throat, traveling deep into her gullet on its way to make her stomach bloat and swell with its young.

Then it screeched and yanked its ovipositor out of her mouth so roughly that it bruised the inside of her throat in the process. A second later, the one in her womb did the same. Seo-yun laid there, confused, until something hard touched her side. She shuddered at first, mistaking it for one of the ovipositors returning, but it was something else. Something warm, and that warmth radiated from the point of contact until it filled her entire body, washing away the weariness. The feeling lasted only a few meager seconds, but when it was gone, her wounds were partially healed, and the sense of paralysis had vanished. "That was all I had left," said a tired voice from above her. "I am sorry."

The spiders hadn't encased Seo-yun heavily, intending to drag her away once they were done implanting, and now that she could move again, the fox could tear off what was there. She rose to her feet to see the orange haired giant that had saved her. Du Jiao Shou's face was strained and pale, and a flickering light emanated from her broken horn. Even as the redhead watched, it faded away completely. "That was more than enough," Seo-yun said sincerely. "Thank you."

The qilin nodded stiffly. Beside her was what was left of the two spiders that had sought to use Seo-yun, both of them mangled and destroyed. "If you are feeling well enough to fight, I believe the river hag could use both our assistance." Seo-yun could see Storm Hag still engaging the other spiders. She was panting heavily and bleeding, and it looked like one of her arms was broken, but... the woman used another arachnid corpse to block a blast of web spit from a spider, then swept the creature's legs out from under it while bellowing a war cry. If the fox didn't know better, she'd think the woman was having fun.

Du Jiao Shou hesitated. "Are you... cognizant that you have another person inside you?" she asked.

Seo-yun couldn't stop her lips from twitching up into a smile. "Yes, I am, actually." She bent down and twisted the ovipositor off one of the dead spiders. She'd have to try and make this one last a little longer. "Come on."

It was far from her last exchange with the spiders that day. Every battle ended in victory, but they all carried a toll. The women were rapidly becoming exhausted and wounded, while the spiders' numbers only continued to swell as more and more arrived from the far corners of the arena to try their luck. The line threatened to collapse with every new assault, and both sides knew the stalemate couldn't last much longer. Seo-yun could only pray that whatever assistance had to be coming from the Paradisium would arrive before things got any worse.

"Seo-y-!" the fox heard Astaria scream, her voice uncharacteristically loud before it cut off. Seo-yun looked to see the green-haired woman collapsed on the webs, choking and twisting. Before she could move to help, she saw what had made the dragon panic so. It was almost a compliment: the spiders had decided that they were as dangerous a threat as Karakostas. It wasn't simply an opportunistic band of web crawlers headed their way. Seo-yun counted at least two hundred rushing at them like a tidal wave. As tired and battered as she and the others were now, even a tenth that number would've spelled almost certain doom.

All of the slaves that could still fight and many that couldn't stepped up to form a ragged line to intercept them. The survivors of the Paradisium Game were a far cry from the kneeling, prettied up fucktoys that she'd seen and been a part of on her first day here. Not a single person was untouched from the battle, or the ordeals that had led up to it. Everyone was bloodied and exhausted and their expressions held no hope or optimism. They all knew that they had no chance of surviving against so many. But they stood together anyway; they weren't going to make it easy.

Samantha was there too, and she leaned against Seo-yun's shoulder as they both watched death approach. "Well," the redhead said dryly, "as far as last stands go, I can think of worse company. So what do you think of the Paradisium Game, now that we're at the finish line?"

"I think I'd rather be playing that foosball game instead," Seo-yun told her.

Sam laughed. "Yeah, me too. Kiss for the road?"

The webs beneath them were shaking under the weight of the approaching horde as Seo-yun tilted her head down to taste the woman's lips for the last time. She closed her eyes and basked in the contact. What happened next would be painful and slow, but it couldn't touch the memory of this moment, or the others that they'd shared. She'd take them with her all the way to the end and whatever came after.

A few seconds into the kiss, Sam pulled her head back. "Is that a **fox**?"

From off to the side, a streak of red moved across the battlefield towards the oncoming horde. "No," Seo-yun said grimly, feeling conflicted emotions at the sight. "That's Levinson."

The werefox bowled right into the spiders without stopping, vanishing into the writhing field of legs. For a few seconds, they kept right on moving as though they hadn't even noticed the attacker, but then the entire group wavered. It almost seemed to be imploding as all the spiders at the outer edges began closing in on the center. Another minute and the formation collapsed, arachnids scattering away from Levinson as the red fox continued to tear through them, leaving a small mountain of corpses in his wake. For all that she was glad to be rid of the _yeowu guseul_ and its hunger, Seo-yun still felt a pang of jealousy at the sight of its power. That had been hers once.

Some of the people watching were cheering him on, and the sound it made her stomach twist. Of all the indignities she'd suffered under his cruelty, she'd never anticipated having to owe him her life as well. Levinson was both more monstrous and more vile than any of the skittering creatures he fought, but the others didn't know or care about any of that. They just saw a savior.

Not a very competent one, though. His appearance only bought them a few extra minutes. The group began to reform past him, still well over one hundred strong and headed in their direction. More than enough to wipe out every owner and slave here. The werefox tried to follow, but those that were still behind blocked him with their bodies. They weren't even trying to fight him anymore, only to impede his movements, sacrificing themselves to keep him entangled.

This horde wasn't looking for incubators, Seo-yun realized. They were too coordinated for that, too cooperative, for such a self-interested goal. No, these ones were **hungry**. The Paradisium had left them down here to starve, and they were intelligent enough to know it. Seo-yun and the others represented their clan's last hope of survival, and they'd do anything for that, even throw themselves into the jaws of an angry fox. The realization made her uneasy. These creatures were victims too, as much as any collared slave. But empathizing with them wasn't going to stop them from devouring every person they could find.

The cheering and applause faded as everyone else figured out that their deaths had merely been delayed by the surprise appearance. Seo-yun consoled herself with the knowledge that at least she wouldn't have to be grateful to the man now.

The elevator doors opened.

Five more foxes bounded out, led by the golden one at their center. Massive and nine-tailed, they met the approaching mass and punched right through it. The webbing the spiders shot at them didn't even slow them down, and their claws tore the creatures into shreds with seemingly no effort, tails whipping to toss the arachnids around like toys. Seo-yun gaped at the sight. This was more foxes than she'd ever seen in her life, and they were clearly more powerful than kitsune. Was it an entire **pack** of gumiho? She hadn't even imagined it was possible. Every gumiho she'd ever heard about had been as solitary as... well, as solitary as her.

In mere moments the spiders had been dealt with. Levinson trotted to join the others, and Seo-yun saw their leader casually cuff him before all six loped towards the survivors. There were a couple screams as they approached, but as they got closer their forms warped, becoming human. They closed the distance as six uniformed Paradisium guards.

"Everyone evacuate to the elevator in an orderly fashion," announced the red haired leader of the pack. "My men and I are here to guard the way and make sure none of those... whatevers try to hitch a ride."

People began to swarm towards the exit, the air filled with shouts of gratitude and relief. For a little while, slaves and owners were united in their feelings. "That was some good work, Yip Yip," Sam said, still leaning on her shoulder for support.

Seo-yun snorted, her heart still pounding from adrenaline. "You should be thanking those other foxes, whoever they are, not me. We'd all be dead or worse if they hadn't shown up."

Samantha rolled her eyes. "And without you, there would've been no one left for them to rescue. Nobody expects you to be a superhero, Seo-yun. Hell, even they have to team up all the time."  
  
She wavered, and nearly fell over before Seo-yun caught her. "Try to relax," Seo-yun told her. "You shouldn't even be walking right now. Let me carry you." Samantha protested, but she really was about as weak as a pup right now, and the fox had no trouble lifting her up and carrying her in her arms. "And what's a superhero, anyway?"  
  


"Put me down and I'll tell you," Samantha said sullenly, though there was a twinkle in her eye.

"I'll carry you all the way out of here," Seo-yun threatened, feeling herself relax just a little thanks to the banter. "Is the great phoenix going to spend the elevator ride and whatever happens after being carried like a child in front of everyone, or is she going to behave herself and tell me exactly what a superhero is?"

"Fiiiiiiiine," Samantha said, outright smiling now. "Well, a superhero is a little like you, only in spandex. They go around helping people and stuff. You're not quite a Superman yet, definitely not a Batman, but you could probably make a decent Captain America if you applied yourself."

"America?" Seo-yun said incredulously, tasting the foreign word. "I've never even **been** to America. How could I-"

The winged beast that had been Nadia crashed into the webs next to them.

The impact made the webbing bounce and shake, throwing Seo-yun off her feet. She fell to the ground, nearly falling off the webs completely before she grabbed hold of some. Samantha had better luck and was already starting to rise to her feet, but her entire body was trembling from the effort it took just to stand.

"Emmmberrrrrrrr," the creature moaned, lumbering towards them on its many limbs. Astaria had described the beast to Seo-yun, but it seemed even farther gone than she'd heard. Its flesh had begun to slough off, and its entire body was shifting and changing in minute ways, unable to hold onto its shape. The smell of rotting meat coming from it was strong enough to make the fox gag and nearly vomit. "Emberrrrrrrrr!"

It rocked to the side as a fox tackled it, tearing into its dark hide with his teeth. Disjointed, bloody tails grabbed the fox and pulled it off, crunching the body in their grip before tossing it to the side. The fox hit the web as little more than a pile of mangled flesh, the corpse showing no sign of healing, and the monster continued forward.

Seo-yun fought to get to her feet as more tails whipped around Sam's body, pulling her up into the air. No, the fox thought as she ran towards the creature. No, this wasn't fair! She wasn't going to let Samantha die!

She struck Nadia with all the power she could bring to bear, as much as she'd used to destroy the steel cords earlier, and her fist sank right into the creature's body. It felt like pushing her hand into mud, except that the flesh inside it crawled and shifted like a thousand bugs were running over her arm. A tail wrapped around her waist and wrenched her up into the air. As she was dragged violently away, the fox saw that the damage she'd done wasn't healing the way she did; instead, more diseased looking flesh was bubbling out from within its body to fill the hole like a plug.

The creature threw her to the side, towards the elevator. As soon as she landed, Seo-yun was already scrambling up to try again, but she was too late. "Embbberrrrrrrrrr!" the beast groaned again, the sound like a death cry. Seo-yun met Samantha's eyes for just a second, and the redhead's mouth moved. The screams all around her were so deafening that she couldn't hear a single syllable of it, but she read the words off of her lips.

I'm sorry.

The beast's jaws closed around Samantha as its tails shoveled her into its mouth, the creature so large that it could swallow her in a single gulp, and time seemed to slow down for the fox. Seo-yun heard the sound. It pierced through all the other noise as if the arena stood silent. The familiar sound that she'd enjoyed for so many decades, that had haunted her all her life, that she'd savored and hated and dreamed about so often, waking with drool running out her mouth and tears running down her cheeks.

The sound of fangs ripping into flesh and bone.


	19. Meow

It served them both right.

Yuki had missed out on witnessing Ember's death yesterday, but it seemed to be all anyone could talk about, how that gross monster thing had gobbled her up before flying off. Seo- The freak had been sobbing and wailing, and they'd nearly had to put her down to get her to shut up and go in the elevator. By the time the Paradisium forces had tracked the monster down, it had all but completely melted, with Ember's corpse still in its belly. So much for the vaunted immortality of a Phoenix.

Yuki didn't feel the slightest sympathy for either of them. Ember had been an upstart bitch who'd died like the pathetic little nothing she really was. And the freak was a stupid, self-righteous, naive fool who should've just kept her head down and stuck to being Yuki's clit polisher. They'd both gotten what they deserved, and she couldn't care less. Served them both right.

"Hurry up, whore," Master Mordred demanded without turning around, tugging on the nogitsune's leash. The vampire's ridiculous strength meant that the collar tightened around her neck like it was going to decapitate her, and Yuki couldn't help gagging, her tongue lolling out of her mouth, as she was pulled forward and dragged across the ground several feet by the casual tug. She quickly scrambled back onto her hands and knees and crawled at a faster pace behind her owner as he continued striding forward. Her ears almost flattened back with anger at the callous treatment, but she stopped herself. Even when he wasn't looking, he always knew.

It felt odd to be outside after so long underground. The great main building of the Paradisium was behind them, and they were traveling along a wide paved road surrounded by grass and smaller, but still gaudy buildings. Yuki would've enjoyed the fresh air much more if she wasn't so busy trying to keep up with her owner. The Paradisium was as busy as she'd ever seen it, people streaming in and out to take advantage of the final open day of the market, but everyone, human or otherwise, parted to allow Master Mordred through, letting him walk as though the crowd didn't exist. Most of them didn't even know what he was, or why they were giving him space, but their primal instincts drove them to keep their distance from a predator. The quick pace he was setting wouldn't have been troublesome to match if she'd been walking, but crawling on all fours was another matter. And she was exhausted too; he'd kept her up all night long making up for lost time. The only reason people weren't staring at the crawling nogitsune with cum running down her legs and partially-healed bruises, burns, and broken bones all over her body was because it was a fairly common look for slaves at the Paradisium.

"I said hurry **up** , you stupid mongrel!" Master Mordred complained, sending her face first into the pavement with another tug. "We still have business to attend to, and I want to be back at the Mists by tonight." Yuki got back up, feeling ridiculous as she scurried down the road as fast as she could, and then nearly crashed right into the vampire when he stopped suddenly. "Were you not listening?" he asked, his voice dangerously soft. "Or do I no longer deserve a response when I speak to you?"

"No, Master Mordred," Yuki said immediately. "Sorry, Master Mordred. Your whore doesn't mean to be so slow, Master Mordred." What galled her most about the obsequious words was how easily they came to her lips. She'd had a few short days of almost freedom, but now she was back in the same position she'd held for centuries: under his thumb. At least it was better than the spiders, she reminded herself, and suppressed a shudder at the memory.

The dark haired man glanced around casually. Everyone was still giving them a wide berth, flowing around them like they were stones in a river. "Before I reunite with my Children, this is as good a place as any for your punishment," he said. "Heel."

"Yes, Master Mordred," she answered, crawling up to him, head down to stare at the pavement. Her stomach churned at the knowledge that some of his spawn were here too. Master Mordred almost never shared her with the customers, but he had no such compunctions about other vampires. It was a long trip back to the Mists, and Yuki had a feeling she was going to be the entertainment for everyone.  
  
"Look at me," he ordered, and she obediently raised her face to look up at him.

  
"Yes, Ma-" Her voice stopped as Mordred raised his leg to put the bottom of his left boot on her face, rubbing the dirty sole against her features. He seized one of her tails, and then to her absolute horror, began to pull on it, his foot stomping down on her face for leverage. The nogitsune screamed into his boot as he ripped the tail off of her like a child pulling legs off a bug.

"If you want that back," he said, putting his foot down and tossing the tail to the side before unbuttoning his pants to reveal his stiff cock, "start sucking."

Yuki had no time for hesitation or modesty. She latched onto him, swallowing his thick member all the way down her throat in seconds. Lips tight around his cock, she began to frantically fuck herself on him, slapping her face hard enough against him to make herself gag. She only had a couple minutes at most. If she didn't make him finish very, very quickly, the injury would heal over, and it would become impossible to reattach the tail. She knew Master Mordred well enough to know that this wasn't a bluff to intimidate her. If she couldn't get him off in time, he really would let her permanently lose it.

Even after being fucked by it tens of thousands of times in her centuries of imprisonment, his prick still felt painfully large, and the bulbous head of it made her throat bulge as she helped it work its way up and down the narrow tunnel. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she had no time to think about them. They streamed down her cheeks as she noisily sucked, doing everything she could to stimulate her owner's shaft. Her tongue was no less frenzied, slurping and slobbering as the pink muscle made love to every bump and vein it could reach.

His hands were on her ears, casually crushing them in his superhuman grip. He often used that same grip to pound her throat, treating it like a cheap disposable fleshlight. She wished he'd do that now, violently fuck her face like he so loved to do. But he was making her do it to herself instead. Spit and precum dribbled out of her mouth, scooped out by his pistoning cock, causing wet sounds every time his swinging balls slapped her chin.

Nobody was interfering, but that didn't mean they weren't watching. Yuki's cheeks burned as she heard laughter all around her, and amused comments about what a cock hungry slut she appeared to be. If she had her witchfire, she would've happily burned every last person there to cinders. All she could do instead was grab hold of the vampire's legs and rabbit fuck her own throat on him, hoping the way it convulsed around his head would be enough to set him off. Her tongue was hanging out to intercept his wrinkled nutsack, desperately licking at it every time it made contact.

It wasn't going to be enough. Her lungs burned, demanding a breath, but she ignored them. Even a brief pause could doom her. It wasn't going to be enough. Her eyes turned up to look at him, pleading mercy from a creature she already knew had none. He returned the look with a vicious smile before slowly and deliberately spitting on her pupils, making her flinch and blink spittle away. It wasn't going to be enough. She gurgled as she slammed his fat prick down her throat as hard as he ever had. The head was pulsing, coating her gullet in precum that she used to fuck herself harder and faster. It wasn't going to be enough. It wasn't going to be enough. It wasn't...

Master Mordred's cock swelled, and he pushed her head back to let the first few drops spray across her face. He pumped himself with one hand as thick, sticky cum painted her features, plastering her eyes and nose and hair before petering out. He picked up her fallen tall and scrubbed himself with it, soaking the soft fur in throat slime and cock snot before tossing it to her. Yuki hurriedly pressed it against the stump, and sagged in relief when she felt the limb begin to reattach.

She whimpered when he stepped on her again, this time pinning her to the ground with his boot between her shoulder blades, and ripped off another tail. "Next."

It never took the vampire long before he was ready to fuck her again, but this was insanity. His limp prick was still twitching from the orgasm she'd just given him, a bit of cum leaking from the tip. There was no way she'd be able to get him hard again **and** finish him before her tail was gone. His cruel smirk told her that he knew it too. "Your cunt this time. No one here got to see it get properly used, after all."

Understanding dawned, accompanied by dread, but she didn't have time for that. Her head swung from side to side, looking for prospective people. "Someone fuck my cunt!" she all but screamed. "Please! I need to get fucked right now! Anybody!" She heard snickers, and the sound of more than one zipper. She bounded towards one of the men whose cock was now out, and came up short before she closed the distance, choking herself with her leash. Behind her, Mordred laughed and called her the stupidest fucktoy he'd ever owned.

She turned around and presented her pussy to the man instead, her cheek pressed to the pavement while her fingers spread herself open. "Hurry the hell up!" she growled. "...Please!"

A cockhead pressed against her slit and she immediately pushed back on it, swallowing it into herself. Her pussy was still sore from last night's hard use, but she couldn't let that matter right now. She clenched the fat, fleshly lifeline as she fucked herself on it hard. She wasn't one of Master Mordred's selkies, trained for decades to become the perfect sex toys, but you couldn't spend centuries assisting with that training without picking up a few pointers. From the way the stranger behind her gasped, she was giving him the best fuck of his life. Bastard.

It worked though, and less than a minute later he was defiling her insides with his cum. "Every drop," the vampire warned, and she reluctantly obeyed, wringing the man's pulsing cock until it had completely emptied itself within her. Only then did Master Mordred toss her back her tail. "Back over here, you lazy whore."

"Yes, Master Mordred." Yuki knew what was coming, but it didn't make it any less horrific when the third tail was torn off of her.

"Suck," he ordered again, his cock standing firm once more.

The word had barely left his mouth before hers was filled with his prick. "Eff Mshtuh Mohhedd," the nogitsune mumbled around him, not wasting a moment. She deepthroated him as violently and shamelessly as before, demolishing her own gullet until he squirted more jizz into her stomach.

Then she had to fuck a man with her tits, lapping at his greasy head while she lovingly massaged his shaft.

Then she had to ride a man with her ass, and loudly agree that she was a furry, eager, anal loving slut before he allowed her to drain him dry.

Then she had to suck the vampire off again, a real blowjob this time with only mouth, lips, and tongue, her fingers teasing his nuts while another gently played with his anus to help stimulate him.

Then she was rendered airtight, crushed between three different men and frantically trying not to neglect any of them.

Then it was just her pussy, but she wasn't allowed to move this time. She could only whimper and purr and beg the stranger to please feed her cunt some hot cum.

And then a final throat fuck for her owner. Another round of being reduced to a gagging, drooling fleshlight.

The nogitsune slumped to the ground when it was over, feeling utterly and completely drained by the exercise. Her throat was so sore that every breath felt like wildfire running through her, and her jaw throbbed with pain, dislocated at some point in the rough oral rape. Her other two holes felt little better. But she'd succeeded. She'd kept every single one of her nine tails. A mental image of the freak and her four tails rose unbidden in her mind. How awful it must be to... Yuki shook away the thought. Why should she care about that mutilated bitch? It wasn't like she'd actually given a fuck about Yuki at any point. She'd just wanted to rub her moral superiority in the nogitsune's face.

Fuck her, fuck Ember, fuck every last one of them. It had been sickening to watch so many of them play at friendship, pretending that they wouldn't turn on each other the moment they found a weakness to capitalize on. That was why Yuki was better than them; she didn't want anyone else, she didn't need anyone else, and she sure as fuck didn't care about anyone else. She'd been on her own for five centuries now, and she was perfectly. Fucking. Fine.

"How many times are you going to make repeat myself, whore?" Master Mordred growled, and she lurched forward as her leash was tugged again. The vampire had already resumed walking.

"Yes, Master Mordred. Sorry, Master Mordred." Yuki was exhausted and out of breath, but she knew her owner didn't care a whit about that. There was nothing to do but scramble forward, panting, while his cum slowly dried on her face.

"That was one," he told her as he walked and she crawled. "And then you made it through two hatchings. That's three out of the seventeen punishments you earned for being a needy slut who couldn't even control her own libido." Yuki's mouth opened to tell him that she'd gone through that nightmare three times, not two, and then at the last moment remembered the lie that she'd told him about escaping during the second. That third one wasn't going to count. Somehow that felt even worse than what she'd just been through. It wasn't even going to count! And it was all that fucking freak's fault. Yuki's slip of the tongue had only been because she'd been so worked up over the bitch and her ridiculous ideas. She'd been an idiot to protect her. The cunt was probably still laughing about it.

"We'll see how many tails you have left after another fourteen tries. But maybe I'm wrong about you. Maybe you've become enough of a cock sucking, cum guzzling, furry little whore to actually keep them all." Fourteen more. He was going to make her go through that fourteen more times... "Yes, Master Mordred," Yuki whispered, almost grateful to have his filthy jizz painting her features. It hid her tears. She hurried to keep up with him before he got angry again.

**********

"That little... **bitch**!" Sindak spat, pacing back and forth angrily. The efreet's flames were uneven, dimming and flaring at random, and his feet had burned holes in the carpet.

"I know it can always be difficult to lose a possession unexpectedly," Karakostas said, trying to remain calm despite the damage his companion was doing to his study. "But you knew this was likely to happen. Joked about it, even. Why are you so upset about Ember's death now?" He let one hand rest on his daughter's head. She knelt beneath the desk and between his legs, quietly sucking as she worked to earn a new load from him. Her emerald eyes were turned up to look at him, hunting for any sign that she wasn't performing her best.

Astaria was coming along nicely. There was still some spirit to her - she was his daughter, after all - but it grew steadily dimmer. Once he was certain that there was nothing left but an empty fuck doll, he would fill her womb with his seed and turn her into the vessel for a true heir. He wouldn't make the same mistake he'd made with her, thinking that a single child was all he needed. Now that he'd learned firsthand what a disappointment they could be, and had a potential incubator that would be able to give birth multiple times, things would be different. He idly played with her hair as her head bobbed. As soon as she was ready, she'd spend decades pumping out children for him. He'd cull the weak and groom the strong, set them against each other to see who had true resolve.

But for now... he patted her head, and she nodded, letting him slip from her mouth. Astaria rose to her feet, as beautiful as ever in her shimmering dress, and sat herself down on him, her asshole finding his cock. She sank all the way down and began riding him, furiously bouncing up and down on his shaft. It only took a light touch to change her behavior, her movements growing slow and gentle as she focused on pleasing his shaft over persuading his balls. She was already responding excellently to nonverbal commands.

"Because this wasn't how she was supposed to die!" Sindak snarled. "I've been waiting years for the day it would happen, I had everything planned out, and she..." His flames flared brightly. "She fucking blue balled me!" He looked at Karakostas. "Tell me you're at least going to make Petrov pay for what his mutant freak of a daughter did."

The dragon sighed. "The situation is... complicated. I have spoken with Mr. Petrov, and he's assured me that incidents like this will not happen again." He'd been as angry as Sindak at first. The damage that slave had done to the Paradisium could be easily fixed, but the injury to his pride still festered and burned. That deformed freak had humiliated him in front of an audience. If she'd survived that transformation of hers, he would have tortured her to death himself already.

"Of course it won't, because she's already fucking **dead**!"

"Mr. Sindak." The dragon let just a bit of his emotion show in his tone, and it came out icy cold. "You have been a valued friend and ally of the Paradisium for many years, but that does not give you a license for rudeness. I am still in charge here, and you will treat me with respect."

Some of the anger in the efreet faded, and he took a deep breath. "Right, right, sorry," he said apologetically. "It's just...gah! It was going to be so perfect, and now look at them. Everyone is talking about her like she's some kind of legend! A decade from now, they probably won't even remember that she was a slave!"

Karakostas slid his hands across Astaria's lightly bouncing breasts, enjoying the heft and feel of them. He'd been teaching her how to titfuck, and he was looking forward to their next lesson tonight. She'd already learned how to use her ass superbly. Her muscles were caressing him, and even though the hot blood on his shaft told him that he was still ripping her open like usual, she wasn't letting the agony she must be experiencing show in her performance. He really had been a fool for not doing this sooner.

"Are we even certain that she's gone?" he suggested. "I'm only familiar with stories of phoenixes, not their genuine abilities. Is there a chance she'll resurrect at some point?"

For some reason, Sindak seemed to find the suggestion hilarious. The efreet laughed until he cried, tears turning into wisps of smoke as they ran down his visage. "No," he managed eventually through fits of laughter. "I think she's well and truly gone. God, they really are going to worship her around here, aren't they? The undefeated phoenix!"

Karakostas didn't see the humor in it, but he had more pressing thoughts on his mind. Astaria had teased him as best as she could, but he could only last so long in that tight hole. He allowed himself a small sigh of pleasure as he began to shoot his semen into her, and gave her pelvis an almost affectionate rub. Soon it would all be going in there, and that flat stomach of hers would swell with his progeny. He imagined how she would look in time, her stomach round with child and her breasts heavy with milk. He would use this ass then, too. He would spend months between every birthing in this warm, narrow hole, watching his child grow larger inside her every day.

He realized he had already grown stiff again at the thought. Astaria had certainly noticed it too. She'd held still while he came in her, but now she'd resumed her soft rhythmic motions that slid her up and down his shaft, her muscles tenderly hugging him. He might be inside her forever at this rate.

Once his laughter had passed, Sindak seemed to have calmed down. "Sorry for the outburst," he said apologetically. "I'm just really gonna miss that set of fuckholes. You mind if I give yours a spin?"

"By all means," Karakostas encouraged. "Her throat should be sturdy enough to take you. And if she does get burned, well, you **are** a valued friend and ally of the Paradisium. If roasting my fucktoy's throat will improve your day, please go ahead."

The way Astaria tensed around him told him that she wasn't nearly so cavalier about the idea, but she was smart enough not to complain. Karakostas turned his chair away from the desk and slowly stood up, hands on his cock sleeve's hips to keep her impaled on him. Once her body was roughly horizontal, Sindak moved to her front, and the green haired girl obediently opened her mouth for him. She began gagging and clenching the second his prick touched her tongue, and the sound of sizzling flesh was plain to hear.

"Don't thrust your hips," he cautioned the efreet. "She has to learn to do it all herself. Fuck your throat on Mr Sindak's cock, Astaria. I don't expect to see you slow down until his seed is burning a hole in your stomach." His daughter let out a quiet whimper at the idea, but she obeyed, the gagging increasing as she forced herself to deepthroat the fiery rock.

  
"You didn't tell me your fucktoy daughter was such a slut," Sindak remarked, openly grinning now. "Her tongue is going wild on me. Do you like that hot shaft, little dragon? Keep that up and I'll have something even hotter to feed you in no time." Astaria nodded like a good toy should and continued slurping on him.

Astaria's legs and breasts swung weakly in the air as she was suspended between the two men by their cocks, her guts and throat stuffed with them. Her muscles clenched unsteadily, trying to find the familiar rhythm she'd learned for this. Karakostas, in a rare moment of mercy, assisted by pinching her nipples to make her body stiffen. He repeated the action at the same steady pace she should be setting, and she soon picked up on the idea, keeping to that same timing after he left her breasts alone. For a long while the green haired dragon silently massaged both of her rapists' pricks, treating them with love and care in return for violating her.

His daughter had been getting spitroasted - almost literally in Sindak's case - for nearly ten minutes when there was a soft knock on the door. "Enter," Karakostas said.

The door opened a crack and his assistant Batu poked his head. The stout man's head was still bandaged from when he'd been injured during the incident yesterday, but he seemed otherwise his usual self, and paid no mind to the sight of Astaria wriggling and moaning between the two men. "The envoy from Madam Syllana is here to see you, sir. I told her that you were busy," he added apologetically, "but she is quite insistent, and after what happened last time-"

"Yes, yes," said the green haired man. "You made the right choice to come to me." The creatures that woman favored as messengers acted more like automatons than people. The one that was here last time had been told to wait for two hours. When Karakostas' previous appointment had run long and the two hours expired, she'd blasted holes in several walls and severely injured four guards on her way to reach him, and then acted as though she had done nothing out of the ordinary. "Show her in."

As soon as the words left his mouth the door was pushed all the way open and Syllana's envoy walked in. She looked identical to the one who was here last time, though he couldn't be certain she was truly the same one or her mirror: a beautiful young woman dressed in tight, form fitting black clothing that left little to the imagination, who had her short dark hair half shaved, her face decorated with nose studs, lip piercings, and a crescent burn mark on her forehead. Jet black fox ears adorned her head, and nine equally black tails trailed behind her. "Where is she?" asked the nogitsune. Her tone was as flat and emotionless as her expression.

Karakostas sighed and amused himself by playing with Astaria's clitoris with his fingernail, making the girl twitch and buck every time he dug into the sensitive flesh. "There was a complication yesterday that resulted in losing possession of her."

"That was not your agreement with the Goddess," she intoned.

"My agreement with Madam Syllana was that I would hand the nogitsune you call Yuki to her at the end of the Game, **if** I had her. Her current owner retrieved her before the end without my notice or consent." He had only learned hours later of what Mordred had done while they were all down in the arena. If not for that damnable incident, he would've been able to let the vampire believe that his slave had succumbed to the spiders. Mordred would have been upset at first, but the dragon had never known him to be the sentimental type. A complimentary slave or two, perhaps an offer to provide a fresh batch of selkies to Avalon, would have ended the entire affair peacefully.

"Madam Syllana was well aware that the transfer was contingent on the results of the Game," he continued. "If I recall correctly, when I brought up the fact that I wouldn't be able to give Yuki to her if the fox won the Game, her response was, and I quote, 'As if that stupid runaway cunt could ever make it out the other end. I'll worry about that when it happens.' Well, it has happened. Perhaps she should have had more faith in her wayward charge. You will tell her that."

The messenger's expression didn't change, but he could have sworn he something waver in it for just a moment. A slight hint of fear. "The Goddess will not be happy about this."

"The mental wellbeing of your employer is not my concern. Unless there is something else to discuss, I believe our business is concluded."

The waver was more pronounced this time, but the woman only bowed silently before turning around and leaving. "Have Eirene monitor her until she leaves the Paradisium grounds," Karakostas told Batu. The servant nodded, then shut the door behind him.

"Tough being the big boss, huh?" Sindak commented casually. He'd spent the conversation seeing if he could wedge both of his balls into Astaria's mouth. Her cheeks now bulged with them, and his cock was making an even larger bulge in her neck. Karakostas' daughter was left throatfucking herself on the efreet with deliberate care, doing her best to pump him in and out of her without letting his ballsack slip past her lips. His fingers glowed as they hovered just below her nipples, ready to torture them the moment she erred.

"Just the everyday hassles of running an empire," the dragon said. He'd contact Syllana later to soothe her irritation, but there was no rush. He'd give her plenty of time to take her anger out on the messenger first. Whether she was the same one who'd shown him such disrespect last time or not was irrelevant; such insults had to be answered. He rested a hand comfortably on his daughter's ass. "Well, shall we?"

Sindak approached climax first, and Karakostas relaxed to let his happen at the same time. Their beautiful cum dump writhed between them as they filled her from both ends. Her belly was starting to swell from the amount of cum the dragon had shot into her by now, and he could feel the warmth of the efreet's cum from where he stood. By the time their flow stopped, Astaria hung limply, hair and limbs matted with sweat from the exertion and heat. The only thing that told him she was still conscious was the continued slow clenching of her bowels around him. She'd already learned that she wasn't to stop until he said so.

It really was a shame to lose Ember. He wasn't as distraught about it as Sindak, but he'd been looking forward to her fall as well. There were a great many patrons who'd paid good money to participate in her defeat, and he would need to make amends with all of them. He couldn't forget his discussion with Petrov either. That would require careful coordination that he would need to manage himself. And it was never to soon to start planning next year's games...

There was much to do, but right now, in the warm paradise of his daughter's insides, Karakostas felt relaxed and at peace. "Another round?" he asked Sindak, and the efreet nodded. Astaria groaned softly, but the gentle pulsing of her ass never stopped. She was going to make a first class fucktoy.

*********

"Now then," said Ilya. "Are you finally going to explain what exactly you've been up to, dear daughter of mine?"

Tanya pouted. "I coullllllld," she said, "but I always do my best thinking with a busy tongue in my slit. Do you mind if I use her?"

"Not at all," her father said. "What's mine is yours, you know that."

Most of his personal effects had already been packed up, and his bed had been stripped down, but his bedroom wasn't completely empty. The angel Camiel was bound face up on the cot he'd brought up from the basement, arms and legs cuffed beneath it. There was still a slow trickle of cum from her slit from when she'd taken care of his morning wood. Like always, he'd used the pliers and various other instruments to ensure that she didn't enjoy a moment of it, but it was already taking far less effort to do that than it had the first time. He would teach the wingless fucktoy to be terrified and disgusted by the very idea of sex, even as it became the sole focus of her life.

Tanya happily skipped over to the angel and plopped down on her face. Her pussy was already wet as she slid it over the girl's lips, coating them with her juices. "I see two futures right now, little cherub," she told the slave lightly, as her fingers traced a square over the girl's dusky skin. "In the first, you try to act tough, so I flay this patch of skin off your belly. Thennnnnn, I shove hot needles into the raw flesh beneath" - she poked Camiel's stomach a few times as if to demonstrate - "until you relent and start getting all cozy and intimate with my twat. In the second future, you're smart enough to try and avoid a fate like that by nuzzling my cunt like a good girl right away. Which is it going to be?" Her sudden gasp and widening smile told Ilya what the angel's choice had been. "Mmm hmmm," Tanya said approvingly. "You keep that up, Cammy, and we'll get along just fine."

Ilya let his daughter enjoy herself for a few minutes before he spoke up. "The explanation?" he reminded her.

  
Tanya giggled. "Sorry, Father, got a little distracted. It was all pretty straightforward if you ask me. The qilin with the mindreading powers was never going to do anything to ol' Kitkat, but she **was** going to learn some things you'd rather keep secret, and cause us a bit of trouble keeping her quiet. Eliminating her in round one so she could go play with the puppies instead was the easiest way to avoid that future. Astaria, now, she was going to go the distance and take over the entire Paradisium, clever girl. That would've turned into quite a mess and made it difficult to obtain the test subjects we're going to want. Now that she's becoming her Daddy's babymaker, the Paradisium's future is secured."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about," he said, unable to help feeling amused by her evasion. He would never understand what it was with oracles and their habit of being so indirect. Tanya was better than most, but she still enjoyed teasing him first.

"Oh, you mean Nadia and vulpan and nearly getting you and Levi killed?" she asked innocently. "Well, you know, sometimes silly little me has trouble keeping track of these things. Maybe if Father came over here and joined me, it would help jog my memory?" She leaned down and patted Camiel's slit. "Even when she's dry, she'll be soft and warm and smooth down here. And since you haven't been feeding her anything but your yummy gooey cum for the last few days, she's been a little malnourished and that means..." She twisted one of the angel's nipples, making the girl yelp. "Her toughness and resistance to pain are both decreased. She hasn't even finished healing all the burns in that twat. Ride it hard and rough, and I promise she'll be miserable the entire time."

Ilya was happy to comply, and the wingless angel shrieked as his thick cock began forcing its way into her cunt. If what Tanya said was true, and she was rarely wrong, he wouldn't need the pliers, but that didn't mean he couldn't use them anyway. Tanya giggled again when he made the angel squeal and piss herself with a sharp twist of her clitoris. He and his daughter were now close enough for them kiss, and they did so, slowly and lovingly, while their toy squirmed beneath them.

"Now, where was I...?" Tanya mused after she broke off the kiss a few minutes later. "Oh yeah, Nadia. I knew Kitkat would be a little unhappy at first, but he didn't complain when you talked to him, earlier, did he? He gave you a proposal instead."

Ilya nodded as he gave his angel some strong thrusts, enjoying the way she tensed whenever he bounced off her cervix. "He is asking for werefoxes as security guards. Everyone saw the ones in Paradisium uniforms take down the spiders, and assumed they were his men. He wants to recruit as many as possible before anyone realizes their mistake." Now he knew why she'd told him get the extra security detail in the first place, and why she'd insisted they had to blend in with the regular guards.

"Yep! Everyone got a firsthand demonstration of their power, and as far as Kitkat knows, you are his one and only connection to them. Which means that you now have a great deal of leverage over him. And speaking of test subjects, while I'm super duper sad about all those snooty rich folks dying, some of them owned some very rare and exotic slaves that are now available on the market. Someone might be able to snatch them all up himself if he had, say, a bit of leverage with Karakostas."

Ilya laughed. He knew the dragon well enough to see that her foretelling was absolutely correct, as usual. He valued his reputation far more than his customers, and while a few deaths would hurt, self-destructive slaves weren't that unheard of, even if they were usually on a much smaller scale. Having a seemingly invincible force of vulpan at his beck and call would not only give him prestige, it would intimidate his rivals and scare many races into giving him even greater tributes than before. Overall, this incident would be a boon for both him and Ilya, and all it had cost was a daughter.

  
He couldn't deny a small degree of sadness over Nadia's death. He had no love for the failure, but familiarity had led to a certain sort of fondness for her over the years. He'd always had the faint hope that maybe he could turn her into something useful someday, but it wasn't to be. Honestly, she'd accomplished more with her suicide than she ever could have managed alive. 

Tanya purred, and he knew Camiel had managed to lick her to orgasm. If the angel thought that would get her a reprieve though, she was going to be very mistaken. "I know you can do it faster than that, Cammy," she said, panting a little. "Give me another in the next two minutes, or I'll tell Father to get the cattle prod. Do you know what you'll sound like when he shoves it up your asshole while he's cumming in your pussy? It will be a really beautiful scream, I promise." The girl's slurping grew louder and noisier as she tried to please her new mistress. "And if it makes you feel better, Father, neither of you were ever in any real danger. I made sure you were both going to fall into safe areas."

"Not perfectly safe," he pointed out. "Or I wouldn't have had to run from those spiders down there."

She gave him a look of mock concern. "You'd been lying in bed all day, and I wanted to make sure you got the chance to stretch your legs a little. I promise, if I'd seen even a single future where things went poorly, I would've been a good girl and told you all about it. Since you were going to be fine..." She grinned. "Why spoil the surprise?"

"Save the excuses for your brother, not me," Ilya told her. "Last I saw him, he was still talking about turning you over his knee and spanking you until you cried."

"Mmmmmmm, did he **promise**?" Tanya asked. "He's a good lover any day of the week, but god is he amazing when it comes to hate sex. He nearly tore me in half a few months ago for not warning him that he was going to get betrayed by that one guy who worked for him." She wriggled back and forth happily on Camiel's face as she remembered it, the angel's tongue frantically trying to keep up with her moving pussy.

Ilya loved his son dearly, but he could be as reckless as Tanya sometimes. Like his stunt with that rich couple - burning their residence down hadn't stopped Karakostas from identifying the perpetrator, and violence between guests of the Paradisium was strictly prohibited, so the dragon was honor-bound to punish him for the murder and kidnapping. Luckily, he and Ilya had been able to work out a deal during their earlier talk. His son's punishment was to forfeit all of his newfound wealth, that is, what he had technically gained through his forced marriage to Jessica Wilmingshire. The Wilmingshire estate and all of its financial holdings now belonged to Karakostas, who was **not** honor-bound to publicly reveal the details of whatever transgressions and retributions occurred under his watch.

In other words, Ilya had paid the dragon off to keep what had happened a secret. A very, very expensive secret, given how much money the Wilmingshires had possessed. But after meeting that beautiful airheaded bitch at the dinner party a few nights ago, he couldn't judge his son too harshly for deciding to claim her. A pampered creature like that would be an excellent fucktoy once properly trained. And as for her dead husband... filthy mixed breeds deserved whatever they got.

"Those were the only reasons, then?" Ilya asked. "To assist myself and Karakostas, and convince your brother to punish you?"

"Oh, don't be silly, Father. Those were all just happy consequences. No, I did all that to Nadia for a much more important reason." Her eyes glittered, and for a moment there was none of her usual cheerfulness in her face, just fierce, ugly hatred like he'd never seen before. "I did it to **win**." Then her expression wavered, and Ilya could tell why. Tanya's hips clenched Camiel's head as the angel made her cum again, his daughter's juices gushing down her throat. Seeing her so pleased sent himself over the edge too, and he emptied himself inside the wingless girl's twitching cunt.

  
Father and daughter kissed again, intoxicated by the pleasure the angel was giving them. "Father?" Tanya asked after, a hint of shyness in her voice. She looked up at him with those huge, wet puppy dog eyes. "Now that Nadia got herself killed, does that mean I can finally get some wings of my own?"

"That's why I bought the angel in the first place," Ilya said dryly. "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Tanya's eyes lit up. "Well, sure," she admitted with a sly smile. "But it's nice to hear you say it."

"What do you know about that fox?" he asked. "The one your brother is so interested in? He seems to think she's important."  
  
Tanya giggled. "Gingersnaps? She's nothing special, just a freak accident. I've already looked at her futures, and there's only one in a million where she ends up as anything but a broken fucktoy."  
  
"And what about that one in a million future?" Ilya pressed.

His daughter winked at him. "You just leave that one to me, Father. I'll make sure it never, ever happens. In fact..." Her smile widened. "I know a way to ensure she never gets a moment's peace, Levi gets a little reward for all his hard work, and **I** get some more wonderful hate fucking afterward. I'll tell you all about it when we're done here."

She looked around the room. "Did the needles already get packed? I know I saw a knife around here somewhere..." Camiel made a whimpering sound beneath her, and Tanya giggled. "You silly thing, did you really think I wasn't going to flay you and shove hot needles in your slutty fucktoy body just because you did what I wanted? You're a slave now, Cammy; I get to make you do what I want **and** torture you! If you really don't want me to hurt you, you should work on getting really, really, **really** good at licking my cunt, so good that I'll sometimes get distracted and forget to torture you. It's not in any future that I can see, but it's always good for fucktoys to have goals, right?"

Tanya moaned as the angel's tongue brought her to yet another orgasm. "And look... on the bright side..." she said afterward as she recovered from the high. "I promised you joy and purpose when I invited you to play in the Paradisium Game, and I wasn't lying: you've found your purpose in life as our wingless paintoy, and you're going to bring us lots and lots of joy. You're **welcome**." Camiel whimpered again.

Ilya felt himself growing hard again as he watched his daughter play with her new pet. She really was his progeny. "If I fuck her a second time," he asked, still balls deep in the angel, "will she get wet?"

"She will if Daddy's little angel plays with her clit while you're doing it," Tanya teased. "But don't worry, we're going to have **so** much fun punishing her for it."

He knew she was right. She always was.

**********

"So I all have to do to become part of this Board of Directors at Paragon," Martin was saying, "is pay this Ilya fellow a bit of money. Isn't that grand?"  
  
"Yes, Master," Betty said quietly, keeping her eyes to the ground as she and her sister trailed behind him on the way out of the Paradisium. Nobody was giving them much notice, and they had to fight their way through the crowd.

"I've got a feeling that he knows something about those little fox folk that popped up at the end there," her master said. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about them yourself, would you?" His tone was light, but there was an edge to it that made her shiver. It wasn't an idle question.

"I..." Betty racked her brain, trying to come up with something she could contribute. She'd never heard of such creatures before, and hadn't even gotten a glimpse of them yesterday from her cocoon, but he wouldn't be satisfied with an answer like that. "They are... an obscenity," she said after a moment. "An unnatural defilement of Sacred Fire. It was never meant to be used like that."

Martin whistled. "They are **neat** , that's what they are. Well, if you don't know, that just gives me one more topic of conversation for my new business associate."

"Yes, Master." She should feel relief at having avoided his wrath, but there was only exhaustion. She hadn't felt this miserable in a long time. Her ears itched where the fake ones had been glued on, but not half as much as the stub of her tail did. It would take her years to grow it back. And she felt like there were still some of those awful spiders inside of her. She'd endured more than six cycles of egg laying and hatching before her owner had decided to retrieve her.

Martin turned his head to give her a quizzical look. "Is something wrong?"

"N-no, Master," the cat woman said quickly, bowing her head lower. "I'm very glad that your business opportunity panned out."

"If that were true," the young man said lightly, "you would be smiling, wouldn't you?" He himself wore a small, teasing grin.

So he was in one of those moods today. Betty quickly put a wide smile across her face. "I am very happy that you've had success this week, Master. Your slave is thrilled beyond measure that you were able to get what you wanted while watching her humiliate herself for you. It was so much fun following your special rules, and I hope that my sister was able to keep your cock pleased and your balls busy while you watched me." She and Sally hadn't gotten to talk yet - they were never allowed to speak to each other anymore except by his direct command - but the look of weary despair in the golden haired woman's eyes when she and Betty had finally been reunited this morning had told her all that she needed to know. Keeping their master happy was a taxing job even when they were both present. Even the entire harem wasn't always enough.

"Hmmmm?" Martin asked, his grin growing slightly wider. "I think my cute little kitten might be telling her owner a fib. If you had so much fun with the rules I gave you, why did you break them?"

Betty's face went pale before she caught herself and replaced it with the smile he wanted. "I-I didn't, I, I followed your rules the entire time, Master! On my oath!"

Martin opened his mouth, but it wasn't his voice that came out when his lips moved. It was that kitsune Betty had tried to help. "No, it's okay, really. I'm... mistress Snowflake is right, I'm a horny painslut and she's...she's just treating me the way I asked her to last night." He cocked his head and Betty's own voice came out. "I really don't think..." Next was that woman who'd been killed. "Shut it." Then back to Betty. "I really don't think... I really don't think... I really don't think..."

He grinned at her, his eyes gleaming. "Yes, you really didn't think, did you, pet?" he said in his normal voice.

"But I..." Betty swallowed down her protest. It didn't matter that it was a single slip over four days that had only occurred because she'd been interrupted. Appealing for mercy was pointless when you were dealing with something without any. "I am sorry for my mistake, Master," she said instead. "Your slave was too stupid to follow your special rules, and deserves whatever punishment you see fit."

"Punishment?" he asked. "Who said anything about punishment? I'm just worried that my poor kitty wasn't able to enjoy herself this week. Maybe when-" His voice cut off, and his eyes focused elsewhere. "Mr Mordred!" he said loudly, waving his hand and stepping forward. "Martin Glendale, Glendale Automotive! Golly, this is a real stroke of luck, isn't it? I didn't expect us to run into each other again."

Betty spotted the vampire. Even though he had his back to them he was easy to find, standing in an open space the rest of the crowd avoided. Next to him were four other vampires, all of them dressed in black. One of them was having his cock sucked by Mordred's nogitsune, who seemed to be especially desperate as she went at it. The sight of her severed tail in the vampire's hand told the cat woman more than she wanted to know.

The vampire gave no response as Martin carelessly stepped forward, walking right up to the creature. "I just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to meet you!" he said cheerfully, moving to put his hand on Mordred's shoulder.

Just before he made contact, Mordred's hand shot out like a viper to grab Martin's by the wrist, and his head swiveled to look at the man for the first time. The vampire's eyes blazed with anger, and his voice came out like rolling thunder. "You dare try to touch me, you filthy vermin? You think having a few slaves makes you my equal? You and everyone else here are less than worms at my feet, and the only reason I... don't... kill..." His voice trailed off and his gaze became uncertain as he stared at the young man.

"Something wrong, Mr Mordred?" Martin asked guilelessly. His expression didn't change, but for just a moment it became something fixed and artificial, no less a mask than the ones Betty and the others had been wearing. The thing behind the "foolish young American" met the vampire's eyes.

Mordred let go of Martin's hand and stumbled backwards to fall on his ass, a dark wet stain spreading on his crotch. Mouth agape, he scrambled back up to his feet and fled without looking back, the crowd parting to let him through. The other vampires looked at the way he'd gone and then back to each other, confused. As they spoke in hushed tones, the nogitsune continued frantically sucking, oblivious to what had just gone on.

Martin shrugged, the mask back in place. "What an oddball. Must be shy." He turned to Betty. "So like I was saying, maybe you, me, and your sister can put our heads together and think of some good ways to cheer you up, huh? Oh, that reminds me!"

He dug around in his pocket and produced the butt plug tail that she'd been wearing at the beginning of the game, the one she'd lost while being raped by a leviathan. "You dropped this the other day. Sally went to all that trouble donating her tail so I could make it, seemed a shame to just leave it sitting around down there, so I took a little swim. The cutie's gotten real good at waving your old one around while she's on her knees; show her, Sally." Betty's sister obediently wiggled her ass, causing Betty's severed tail to bob from side to side.

Martin tossed her the obscene thing and Betty shoved it back into her, forcing her smile to stay on and trying to ignore the way her heart pounded. "Thank you for finding my butt plug tail, Master! You're so good to your slave kitten. She can't wait to have lots and lots of fun with you and her sister. She's missed having you inside her **so** **much**." Anxious to show how well she could play along, she wriggled her ass in time with Sally, the two sisters making the preserved tails that he'd ripped off of each other dance in sync.

"Mmm hmm," Martin agreed happily. "That's more like my good girl." He slung his arm across her shoulder and she fought the urge to shudder. She'd already dropped her smile once; she didn't need to give him yet another reason to punish her. "Come on kitty, let's get you home. Boy, I can't wait to talk to that Ilya again once I'm on his Board of Directors. I have so many good ideas for my new company..."

**********

Two days after the Paradisium Game ended, Levinson woke to feel a soft tongue gently pleasuring his cock. Its owner was tenderly bathing him, softly lapping his dick from base to tip, occasionally taking a break to take his balls into her mouth and lightly suck on them "Did you spend the night thinking about what I asked, cunt?" he asked.

"Yes, Master Levinson," Celeste said, kneeling at the other end of the bed with her head still buried in his crotch. He'd ordered her to always use that term to address him, and she managed to instill the title with both respect and loathing. "I have thought up four thousand, three hundred, and sixty three ways that I could obey the letter of your commands while defying the spirit of them."

He stretched and rose from his bed. Most people had left yesterday when the public market closed, but he wasn't the only person with unfinished business still renting private lodgings within. It was little more than a hotel room, and like most of the Paradisium's residences it was filled with gaudy crap, but at least it was better than the abandoned warehouse Akemi and the others were still staying in.

As he got up, he gave the cage next to the bed an offhand kick that knocked over empty food and water bowls and made the small red fox inside it wake and begin cowering. His fae slave slid down to the floor to kneel next to him, submissively waiting for his next order. Her face was passive and serene, betraying none of the humiliation and rage he knew lurked just below the surface. "Is one of them to inundate me with so much information that I can't keep track of it all?" he asked her.

Her expression didn't change, but something in her eyes flashed. "Yes, Master Levinson."

"Then consolidate them and tell me the important ones first," he ordered. "And whenever you make a comment that isn't worth the time and breath, you will apologize and permanently add fifteen minutes to your daily punishment time." She was already up to seven and a half hours a day.

"Yes, Master Levinson. If the intended spirit of your commands is ambiguous, I could use that as a reason for inaction, or assume a spirit that it is likely - but not guaranteed - to run counter to your actual wishes."

"Then when there is ambiguity, you are to decide what I want based on the most likely outcome, which you'll base on your knowledge of myself, my goals, and the current situation." He unlocked the cage and kicked it again. "Get the hell out here, slut. Keep me entertained."

The small red fox shook with terror as it hesitantly crawled out the cage. Its form shifted, and a naked Jessica Wilmingshire began to lick him. She made no attempt to speak, which demonstrated that she wasn't **quite** as stupid as he'd thought.

The damage her dead husband had done to her body had left the slut unfuckable, but it had been nothing a fox marble couldn't cure. Once he was wet enough that raping her dry cunt wouldn't hurt **him** , she prostrated herself face down on the floor and spread her restored cunt open with her fingers. Her ass wriggled until it found his cock, and then she pushed, burying him inside her twat. The rich bitch started fucking herself on his shaft, her eyes still fixed on the floor. Levinson had trained many girls over the years, and she was one of the weakest by far. He'd only owned her for three days, and been busy too focus on her for a good chunk of them, and she was already one of the most submissive creatures he'd ever seen. Pathetic. "Continue," he told Celeste.

"Yes, Master Levinson. When given a command that I do not wish to follow, I could find ways to stall for time until the situation has changed and the command is no longer relevant."

"If a command I give you could be reasonably inferred as time sensitive, you will do all that you can, within the rules, to see it done to my satisfaction in time."

"Yes, Master Levinson."

He enjoyed the way his upper class cum dump's ass jiggled every time she smacked her hips against his crotch. She was so desperate to show him what a good fuck she could be for him, still hopeful that enough obedience would make him forget the way she'd tried to screw him over several times now. He recalled her attempt to free the fae from her service, and that led him to another thought. "She ordered you to obey me and only me from now on."

"Yes, Master Levinson."

On the surface, that seemed airtight. But there were few subhumans more devious and conniving than the Sidhe. "Is there any way for someone else to countermand that order?"

The fae tried not to show it, but he saw the slightest flicker of disappointment in her eyes. "Yes, Master Levinson. I am still sworn to obey the orders of the Bloomdyne and Wilmingshire families. There is a hierarchy by seniority, from eldest to youngest; the mistress's mother, for example, would be able to supersede all orders her daughter had made."

"How many people are capable of it?" he asked.

"The bonds of blood and marriage have expanded the scope of my service considerably. There are six blood relatives on the mistress's side of the family that qualify," said Celeste with clear reluctance. "Two aunts, a cousin, and three siblings of her grandfather. There are eight more connected through marriage." She named them as well, and another twenty on the Wilmingshire side.

"Then I suppose I have thirty four people to murder," he mused. "If I'm lucky, a few of them might be fuckable too. Anyone else?"

"Yes," she said, and met his eyes. "Queen Mab could overrule any order given to me. Would you like me to setup a meeting so that you can assess for yourself how fuckable she is?" Her tone remained deferential, but the fire in her eyes dared him to show his face in front of her queen.

"Maybe someday," he told her, "That's enough for now." Levinson had other questions to ask her, and he was sure that there were still plenty of loopholes he'd need to close, but he had other things on his mind right now, and only so much patience. "Would you rather crawl over here and lick my balls some more, or watch me break one of the slut's fingers?" Jessica whimpered, but continued fucking herself hard on him.

A spark of anger appeared in the fae's eyes, but she kept her tone even. "I would rather crawl over there and lick your balls, Master Levinson."  
  
He smacked Jessica's ass, producing a yelp from the blonde fucktoy. "Then beg for it."

Celeste hesitated for only a fraction of a second, then gave in. "Please, Master Levinson," she said flatly, her expression passive. "Please allow me the honor of crawling over there and licking your scrotum."

The slut knew how to beg sexier than that, but she always tried to retain as much dignity as possible unless directly ordered to debase herself. He was going to put an end to that right now. Jessica shrieked as Levinson took one of her thin, delicate fingers and snapped it like kindling. "Not good enough," he told the ice cunt. "Try again."

"Please, Master Levinson." This time there was a feigned note of desperation in her tone, and her expression looked more meek than stony. "Please allow me the honor of-" The rest of her sentence was drowned out by her former mistress's scream as a second finger was broken.

"Maybe fae can lie after all," Levinson remarked. "Because you sure as hell seem like you'd rather see me crush this slut's digits than convince me you want your tongue on my nuts."

Something almost like hurt passed across Celeste's face. Winter fae could act tough, but deep down, this one was nearly as soft as his new pet. "Please," she said haltingly, with a genuine hint of anguish in her voice and anxiety on her face, "allow me the honor of crawling over there and licking your scr- your balls, Master Levinson."

Levinson shook his head. "Pathetic. Do it yourself this time." Jessica screamed as Celeste reached out and snapped her third finger.

When Jessica ran out of fingers, they moved onto toes. He had to take only a brief break in the middle, when the blonde fucktoy's cunt had managed to do its job and wring out his cum. He'd shot the load onto Celeste's face and ordered her not to touch it. Then his new fox slut had sucked him hard again so she could keep going with her asshole this time.

"Please, Master Levinson," Celeste begged with just the right amount of fear and servility. Beneath the mask of drying cum, her face held an expression of cringing terror. "Please let your ice slut crawl over there and tongue bathe your big, juicy balls." This was her sixteenth try, and it was almost perfect. Almost. Her eyes still smoldered with rage and frustration.

She made no attempt to move when Levinson poked her in the eyeball, though she blinked furiously afterward. "You still have some self-respect showing, cunt," he told her. "Bury it down where it won't bother anyone again. Swallow all that fae pride and choke on it." He stamped his foot down on Jessica's big toe, grinding it into the ground and making the woman howl. "Then try again."

The dark haired girl closed her eyes. When she opened them again a moment later, there were no more unwanted emotions in it. She begged, but he wasn't listening to the words anymore, just admiring the look of defeat in those inhuman green eyes. "Hold onto that feeling," he told her when she was done. "By the time I get sick of you, it will be the only one you have left. Now come over here and get started."

The winter fae exuded an aura of cool air, but her tongue was as warm as anyone's as it began coating his balls with her saliva. He made her look up at him while she worked, watching her eyes for any reappearance of the sort of emotions fucktoys weren't allowed to have. They held nothing but shame as she gently took his nutsack into her mouth, sucking on it while it sent a flood of semen out to paint the rich bitch's guts. When he'd finished emptying himself and pulled out so he could point his soft cock in her direction, only disgust entered the picture as she began cleaning him.

A few minutes later, he pulled his freshly washed prick away from her. In the interim, Jessica had transformed just long enough to heal. "Play with each other," he ordered. The two women obediently sat up and began kissing and fondling each other. "You can do better than that. Show me a pair of riled up lezzy sluts!" Their kisses grew sloppier and more heated, their caresses more passionate. Celeste brought her head low and began sucking on her former mistress's tits, while Jessica's fingers sank into her former servant's cunt.

Both of them flinched as Levinson's piss stream hit them. "I didn't tell you to stop," he warned Jessica, pointing himself to spray her directly in the face. The blonde shuddered and got back to making out with the fae, who hadn't paused at all. "Now get those tongues in twats." The two urine soaked girls arranged themselves, Celeste on top and Jessica on bottom, and lapped each other as ordered. He had no intention of letting either of them cum. He just wanted to remind them that he was in charge of everything now, including their pleasure.

Levinson knelt behind Celeste, and the dark haired girl stiffened as he worked his cock into her asshole. He was smaller now than as a vulpan, but she was still almost painfully tight. "Your turn to nibble my balls, slut," he told Jessica. She scooted forward a bit to obey. "And you, ice bitch, put your head down and watch her work. Every time her tongue stops making contact, chew on her clit as hard as you can without ripping it off." He felt the blonde begin washing his nuts with much greater fervor than before.

"Yes, Master Levinson." Only a few seconds passed before Jessica howled and latched her mouth onto him. He began reaming the winter fae out, pounding her hard while the slut who was wealthier than a small country desperately chased after his swinging sack with her tongue.

Levinson knew that physical abuse alone wouldn't be enough for this one. The fae bitch was centuries old at least, and tough as nails in some ways. But mental abuse, like making her hurt the woman she was supposed to be serving, that she was less resistant to. "What is this asshole for?" he asked while he continued hammering at it.

  
"It is a biological component for defecation, Master Levinson," Celeste answered, sounding pained and slightly confused.

He slapped the back of her head. "Wrong! I'm not asking you what **you** use it for. Nobody cares what a worthless fae fucktoy does with anything. What is it **for**?"

"For... for giving you sexual pleasure while hurting and humiliating me at the same time, Master Levinson," she admitted.

"And?"

He could almost hear her gritting her teeth. "...And for being a receptacle for your bodily fluids, Master Levinson."

Jessica screamed again after miscalculating and ending up with his balls flopping against her nose instead of her mouth. He glanced down and caught a glimpse of her: sweaty, red faced, and weeping as she tried to obey his order. "Receptacle for bodily fluids," Levinson repeated. "Which ones exactly?"  
  
"Cum and pre-cum and... urine, Master Levinson," Celeste said reluctantly.

"We call things that people piss in toilets, ice slut. So what does that make you?"  
  
"...It makes me a toilet, Master Levinson."

His cock was aching for release by now, and he sped up, drilling in and out of the fae's backdoor. Her spirit was still resisting, but her asshole had already submitted itself to him, becoming a pliant fuckhole that sucked on his shaft. He knew she could feel how much pleasure her body was giving him, and he knew that knowledge pained her far more than the physical assault did. Humiliation and despair were coming off of her in waves now, and that more than anything made his balls tighten and his dick happily spurt inside her.

When he pulled out she immediately swiveled around to begin licking him clean, and Jessica assisted. For several minutes the two fucktoys knelt side by side, lapping every trace of the fae's asshole off of him. Neither of them looked anything like the proud pair of bitches who'd swindled him out of his money and made him look like a fool. Just a couple miserable slaves serving their owner.

Once he was satisfied that he was properly clean and they were feeling properly humiliated, he turned away from them to begin putting clothes on. "Feed her," he ordered. Celeste nodded and retrieved the slut's empty food and water bowls, then produced a tin of dog food from a drawer. After emptying it in the food bowl, she began gathering all the semen he'd shot. She scraped it off her face, scooped it from her asshole, licked it out of Jessica, and hunted for it on the floor. Before Levinson had finished getting dressed, every single drop that had come out of him, minus what had gone down their throats, now sat in her mouth.

Celeste leaned over the food bowl and spat the thick wad of jizz into it, then crouched over the water bowl and began to piss. When she was done preparing the slut's meal, the fae pushed both bowls back into her cage, where Jessica already waited on all fours, then closed and locked the door. The blonde wore a look of disgust as she beheld the contents of her bowls, but not surprise. This would be her fifth meal by now. She'd raised a fuss about it the first time and refused to eat any; by the time he finished teaching her to know better, the fox marble was the only reason she hadn't died several times over. This time the broken bitch didn't even hesitate, lowering her head to take a mouthful of the mushy, cum soaked dog food, then lap up some her former servant's warm urine. By the time he was ready to leave, she was carefully licking both bowls clean, aware that she'd be punished if he found any trace of her food left. Once finished, she returned to her fox form to wait until the next time he wanted her.

She whimpered as Levinson kicked the cage again. "Not bad, bitch," he told her. "You were a perfectly well behaved pet this time. Didn't complain, didn't hesitate, worked hard to drain my balls." She looked up at him as though she wanted to say something, the pleading expression on her face clear as day even in vulpine form. "What is it? You want to tell me that I don't need to keep torturing you? That you're going to be an obedient slave from now on?" She quickly nodded.

"Celeste," he said without looking at the woman, "break all of her toes. Slowly."

"Yes, Master Levinson." The fae reached through the bars of the cage. Jessica tried to back away, but there was nowhere to run, and a moment later a sick crunching sound filled the room, accompanied by a howl of pain.

"This isn't training," he told Jessica as she continued screaming. "I haven't been doing this to teach you a lesson, or break your spirit. This is just your life, slut. This is how you're going to spend every day of it from now on, until I get bored and dump your corpse in the trash."

The bitch let out a miserable whine that had nothing to do with her former servant practically twisting her toes off. The sound made him rock hard, and he nearly ordered her out of the cage for another go, but he didn't have time. The real thorn in his side, Akemi, was waiting.

**********

It was obvious something was going on from the moment Levinson entered the warehouse. Everyone was there; not just the six that had come to the Paradisium, but all one hundred plus vulpan. They lined the catwalks above as the blond man walked in, watching in silence. "What the hell is this?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"I ordered everyone here yesterday," said Akemi, standing alone in the center of the warehouse. She'd eschewed the security guard uniform, returning to her usual army jacket over a tight t-shirt. "They needed to see this."

That was all the warning she gave him before she attacked.

She moved faster than he'd ever seen her, shifting into her fox form in an instant as she charged towards him. Even though he'd been waiting and ready to call upon his own marble, she still caught him first, wrapping a tail around his waist and slamming him against the wall hard enough to make bones crack. Her tail withdrew, leaving him bleeding on the ground, where her claws found his back a moment later. Levinson cried out in pain as she tore the foxskin out of him and tossed the bloody thing to the side.

He still had the hidden skins, but she could kill him in a fraction of the time he needed to transform. Akemi didn't try to go for the kill though. Instead, she gave his chest a mocking pat with one of her tails. "Relax, you big baby," she said, "I made sure not to hurt you too much yet." Then she turned her back on him to address the crowd above, the act even more humiliating than his quick defeat. "For months now, we've suspected that someone has been secretly creating fox marbles and smuggling them out. It's not an easy thing to do, or to track. They'd have to find someone to sacrifice, bring them in without anyone noticing, get one of our kitsune that are too far gone to remember anything to marble them, dispose of the body, and then find an opportunity to sneak away so they could transfer the marble to someone else."

Levinson considered transforming as he watched his blood pooling on the floor, but he forced himself to remain still. If she wanted him dead, it would already be over, and if she learned he still had a foxskin hidden, she'd probably flay him to find it. He had to wait for the right moment. She continued to face away from him as one of her tails wrapped itself around his waist and lifted him up in the air to press him against the wall. Then he screamed as another of her tails stabbed into the palm of his left hand, nailing it to the wall.

"These marbles are more than just weapons to be bought and sold," Akemi continued, still not bothering to look in his direction. "They're what make us who we are, what unite us as a pack. As a **family**. They are our lifeblood!" Another tail zipped towards him and nailed his right hand to the wall. "My first thought was the runt, but he didn't know his ass from his head yet. This wasn't an act of impulse, it was a carefully planned and executed betrayal. I'll be honest, I thought he was too damn stupid."

Akemi shook her head. "Then lo and fucking behold, Ilya Petrov's very own slave, his **daughter** , turns out to be a vulpan! Any of you guys remember initiating her into the group? No? And then, even more unbelievable, the next day the runt goes out of his way to protect the old man, like he's more than just the self-centered ball of rage and lust we've all come to know and love. Now I'm not very smart either, but even I can put two and two together."

Two more tails impaled his legs, leaving him pinned like a butterfly and helpless. "Petrov's a recluse, but nobody can amass that much wealth and power without exposing themselves a little. You know where to look, the right questions to ask... guys like him, you can find out all sorts of interesting things." Akemi finally looked back at him. "Isn't that right, Levi Petrov?"

Levi grit his teeth, trying to ignore the pain. "This is a joke," he spat.

She barked out a laugh. "You're going to try and deny it? Save your breath, runt. You didn't cover your tracks as well as you thought."

"No, that's not the joke. **This** is! Hiding yourself away in the middle of nowhere, doing grunt work for the rich and pretending to be a family. It's ridiculous." He raised his voice to make sure everyone could hear. "The old man can be a piece of work sometimes, but he knows value. How to use it, and how to reward it. Come work for us, and I can promise money, power, and all the pussy you want." He glared at the vulpan. "Even a worthless bitch like you could have a place at Paragon. On your knees, that is."

Akemi laughed. "As tempting a job offer as that is, I'm gonna have to decline. I think Daddy Petrov is going to be a little too busy mourning the death of his son to be taking resumes." One of her free tails wrapped slowly around his neck. "Oh, but don't worry, Levi," she cooed. "I'm not gonna kill you right away. First, I want that big fox marble you've been hauling around, and I'm reallllly hoping you say no. I've got so many fun ideas about how to make you change your mind."

The four tails buried inside him began to slowly twist, filling him with sharp agony. "And once you've become a good little bitch and given me what I want, and begged for it nicely, I'll be kind and let you die. How does that sound, runt?"

Levi's lips pulled back to sneer at her. "Better than what you're going to get from me. Now!"

As soon as he uttered the command, two things happened. He activated his fox marble, and the temperature in the room plummeted.

Levi caught only the fringes of the cold wave Celeste blasted at Akemi, and even that was enough to freeze the blood that matted his fur. Frost formed all over the woman, and she attempted to bound to the side and away. Levi tried to stop her by grabbing hold of the tails still embedded in him with his own, but she surprised him. Her form shifted to human and then back to fox in a single instant, her tails reforming outside of his grasp and allowing her to dash to the side before she was frozen completely. Now that they were gone, he slid down the wall and crumpled to the floor.

His injuries were healing, but not nearly quickly enough. Even after all his training, which had included accelerating his regeneration, he'd need at least couple minutes to even stand, let alone have any chance of fighting back.

"I don't know who the fuck you are," the golden fox snarled, ice sprinkling the floor as she shook herself, "but you picked the wrong bitch to mess with today." She leapt directly at the fae.

Levi had always assumed that Akemi's boasted prowess was an exaggeration. He'd seen how effective she was with a single tail, but that didn't mean she could move all nine so skillfully and at the same time. It was much more likely that she could only manage that sort of power with a couple of them, and hid her weakness with the bravado about holding back on lesser opponents.

He'd been wrong.

Akemi's tails came at the fae like an angry swarm. Celeste blocked the first two with her sword, but the third knocked her off her feet and the fourth smashed into her side like a bat. She was thrown violently towards one wall, but she never reached it. Akemi was already in front of her again, claws raking at her front while another tail grasped the fae's leg.

She swept Celeste around in a circle and hurled her up towards the ceiling, a move Levi was familiar with. Unlike every time she'd used it on him, however, she didn't wait for her opponent to fall back to her. The fox's back legs tensed, and six of her tails hammered the ground, pushing off it to send her rocketing up in the air. The fae saw her coming and sent another burst of cold towards her, but this time Akemi was prepared for it. Her tails formed a protective wall around her, and she smashed into Celeste like a furry bullet.

Both women fell back down, but Akemi was on top as they hit the ground. Standing on Celeste's back, four of her tails were wrapped around the woman's limbs and a fifth was tight around her neck. "This was your big plan?" she asked scornfully. "Always knew you were a fucking idiot, runt, but I never knew you were stupid enough to think one sorry little fairy was going to be my kryptonite."

Levi spat with frustration. He still wasn't anywhere near ready to try and take on the bitch himself. Tanya had sworn the fae would be enough! But she'd been even more pathetic than the time he'd... His eyes narrowed. "Are you holding back, cunt?" he snapped.

"Yes, Master Levinson," Celeste wheezed reluctantly. "If I were to fight at full strength, I might injure you, and you have made me swear not to do that."

Akemi laughed. "Fuck me, your secret weapon was a fairy maid? Bad news, runt: only the weakest and stupidest of fae whore themselves out like that. You should've let her keep baking cookies or whatever." Celeste's body became rigid as the fox began tugging on her with all five tails. Without iron, her attacks wouldn't do any permanent damage to the winter fae, but there were ways around that.

One of Celeste's shoulders dislocated with a loud and ugly sound. "Sorry Mary Poppins," Akemi mocked as she worked to rip the woman's limbs off. "No hard feelings, right? Shit, if dying means not having to work for the runt anymore, I should probably be saying 'you're welcome' instead."

"Fight her with everything you've got, you stupid cunt," Levi said. "Just don't knowingly catch me in it directly or indirectly. You make me think for one second you're trying to find a way to hurt me, and I'll make both you and the rich bitch pay for it for a month!"

He saw Celeste's lips move, her lungs too empty to voice her assent out loud. Then thick ice ran up all five of the tails binding her. The woman twisted, and the frozen tails broke off of Akemi. More ice was running up the fox's legs, and she cursed and kicked away from the fae.

Akemi spun to face the woman again, her form once more shifting between human and vulpan, leaving her tails restored. Celeste was already rising to her feet. Her sword had been knocked away from her, but a long, viciously sharp icicle sprouted from her palm, and she gripped it with easy familiarity. "My name is not Mary Poppins," she told the vulpan coolly. "It is Celeste, and I apologize in advance for teaching you precisely how weak I am."

Akemi came at her again, trying to overwhelm her with her tails as she had before. The fae attempted to block again, but she had barely more success this time than the last. The first three were stopped and the fourth struck her squarely in the chest. Another tail was already arcing around to treat the woman like a pinball again, but came up short when Celeste wasn't knocked off her feet like before. From where he laid on the ground, Levi had the perfect vantage point to see why: she'd frozen herself to the floor, the ice extending all the way up to her waist.

The golden fox snickered. "You think you'll beat me by becoming a punching bag? Sure, let's see how it goes!" She began pummeling the fae with her tails, striking every exposed part of her body. Celeste was still blocking many of the attacks, and those that got through produced little more than a pained grunt, but she had no opportunity to counter attack. She was put purely on the defensive, and even if she wasn't being bounced around the warehouse like before, she was still being hit multiple times a second, each blow hard enough to bruise even her toughened body.

Akemi noticed it before anyone else did, and her frustrated growl was what clued Levi in. She kept attacking Celeste, and Celeste kept parrying like before, but the tide was shifting. An entire second passed before one of the fox's tails managed to slip through the fae's defenses. The next time she managed a second and a half. Two seconds. Three seconds. With every exchange, Celeste was getting better at blocking, her movements more limber. Five seconds. Six.

Her icicle blade flickered, and parted one of Akemi's tails from her body. The vulpan cursed and put some distance between the two of them, using her transforming trick again to restore herself.

Celeste gave her a formal bow, and the ice around her legs receded. "Thank you for the warm-up," she said calmly. "I was out of practice."

Then she dashed forward to meet the vulpan.

Both women were moving almost too quickly for Levi to follow. There was no longer anything playful to Akemi's attacks. She was putting everything she had into the assault: fangs, claws, and tails. It was impossible for Celeste to parry it all with her blade, but she didn't have to. There was a world of difference between the immobile defender she'd been a minute ago and her style now. She rolled and weaved and shifted, flowing around the fox like water.

"What is wrong?" Celeste asked as they fought. "Perhaps even the weakest and stupidest of the fae is too much for you to handle without iron."

"Oh, I'll give you some iron," Akemi snarled. "I'll shove some right up your-" She stopped talking suddenly, her eyes wide. "What did you just **do**?"

"Nothing noteworthy in the immediate," Celeste replied, taking advantage of her opponent's distraction to land a kick to her stomach that sent Akemi to the ground. "I believe the action you're thinking of originated when I froze your tails and legs earlier, and took advantage of the opportunity to implant a small seed of ice within you."

Akemi looked up at her from a crouch. "What did you do to my **marbles** , you fucking bitch?!"

"The same thing I have been doing ever since: growing that seed of ice every time we make physical contact. I opted to begin with the sources of flame that you weren't using and therefore might not notice their sabotage. Master Levinson and yourself have both demonstrated a talent for resisting the effects of Winter; I am curious to see how well that holds up without multiple marbles."

Another sharp blast of cold came from her hands. Ice immediately formed upon the vulpan, freezing her to the ground and bringing her tails down with their weight. Akemi tried to shake it off and break free, but it grew faster than she could destroy it.

Soon it was difficult to even see her within the mountain of ice that had sprouted. "Transform!" Levi shouted at her. "Or I'll order her to freeze your last marble!" He didn't know what it would look like when that happened, but after witnessing the thing Nadia had become, he was confident it would be gruesome.

The vulpan must have agreed, because after a few more seconds of useless struggling, her form shifted back into the red haired woman. "Stop!" he ordered, and the cold immediately vanished, leaving Akemi as a frozen statue in a sea of ice. "Can you heal her?"

"Not directly, Master Levinson," Celeste said. "But I can remove the ice without causing her harm."

"Good enough," Levi said. "Do just her back first."

"Yes. Master Levinson."

The ice on Akemi's didn't melt so much as recede into itself, like watching it spread in reverse. Once it was done, Levi tore the jacket and shirt off her back, and then pressed his hand against her bare flesh. It was clammy, but otherwise normal, and her slight shudder told him she'd felt it. Good. She shuddered even more violently when he dug his nails just below her shoulder blades and pulled, ripping the embedded fox skin off of her. He would see to it that she never transformed again. "Now... wait..."

He examined the wound on her back. It wasn't healing as quickly as someone in fox form, but it **was** healing. He'd never seen vulpan do that in human form, only natural foxes, and she clearly wasn't one of those. So how the hell was she doing that? Levi filed the question away for later. He'd have plenty of time to ask after she was broken. "Now do the rest of her."

Akemi collapsed the ground as soon as the shrinking ice let her. There was still fire in her eyes, but her body was a shivering, frail thing, all energy sapped by her resistance. Her hands batted at him weakly as he rolled her onto her back and began tearing the rest of her clothes off of her.

"Hold up there, runt!' said Daniels. The other vulpan had watched the fight without interfering, but now the man vaulted over the railing and landed nearby. "You don't really think I'm going to let you do that, do you?"

Levi tensed. He could take almost anyone here in a duel, but even with Celeste he had no chance of fighting everyone. Had Tanya gotten it wrong?

Daniels's face broke into a wide grin. "I've been admiring that piece of ass for decades. If anyone gets the first ride with her, it's gonna be me."

Levi considered that and nodded. Daniels wasn't just one of Akemi's Vixens, he was one of the oldest among them, and his loyalty would go a long way towards convincing the others. Levi could wait his turn with the redheaded cunt. "Fine," he said. "But not like that. Bitch needs to earn the right to human cock."

Akemi moaned and shook her head when a transformed Daniels pulled her legs apart with two of his tails, two more around her pelvis to put her at a better angle. "It's nothing personal, boss," he told her as he lined his enlarged cock up with her tight slit. "But A, I like the sound of money and women, and B..." The vulpan slut screamed as he thrust himself into her twat, driving hard and fast into her. "You said so yourself: anything goes here! After teasing us all these years, you really think any of us are going to pass up the opportunity?"

Daniels showed zero concern for the slut's wellbeing as he raped her, making her body shake like a ragdoll with every violent thrust. "God **damn** you have a nice cunt, boss!" he exclaimed. "Sorry I'm probably ruining it forever!"

Daniels's claim that no one would turn down the chance to rape her proved accurate. Some of the vulpan seemed more hesitant than others, but none of them stayed on the sidelines. Levi knew that they weren't all on-board with his coup, but they didn't dare challenge him over it. More evidence that the woman had been a useless fool. These people weren't her family, they were mercenaries, and ones with a small enough conscience that they were okay with gaining power through torture and murder. No surprise that so many had jumped ship in favor of someone promising them everything they'd ever wanted. Only true family, blood family, could ever be trusted.

It was almost enough to make him feel sorry for riding Tanya so hard last night, trying like always to fuck the brattiness out of her. She'd warned him about Akemi, and the need for Celeste, and that he should make an appeal to the others before he called for the ambush. His half sister was an incorrigible tease and prankster, but her visions had probably saved his life.

Even the handful of female vulpan offered no complaint over the change in leadership. As Daniels continued hammering her cervix, a blonde woman seated herself on Akemi's face, muffling her cries. "Do you know how many times I've played with myself imagining your tongue in my cunt?" she asked, running her hands over the redhead's tits. "You'd better do your best now to live up to my imagination, or I'll have to find ways to make up the difference!" She gave one of Akemi's nipples a sharp twist, making her scream and the blonde shiver.

Soon lines had formed to use their fallen leader. When Daniels finally came in her and pulled out, her cunt looked like it had been impaled on a telephone pole, but that didn't stop the next man from letting out a whoop of pleasure when he sank into her.

At this rate it was going to be hours before he got to fuck her himself. He turned to Celeste. "I have a new task for you."

**********

Jessica wailed as she was spitroasted on two vulpine cocks, both so huge that they almost looked like they'd meet halfway in her. The blonde was on all fours, being buffeted on both sides by her eager rapists, who grinned at each other as they used the former elite.

Nearby, Celeste bounced obediently on one fox's prick, the thing so large and thick that she couldn't prevent a wince each time it bottomed out. Both of her hands were wrapped around two dicks, caressing them with her soft palms, and her tongue was servicing a fourth. Her face and chest dripped with semen from the many loads she'd taken so far, and more dribbled from her lower holes. 

He hadn't noticed her in the warehouse at first, but Brie had been brought there too. Her arms were still bound like before and she was on her knees, desperately sucking on another vulpan's cock. Without her fox skin, she was the most vulnerable there, and any of the men here could fuck her to death without even trying. Her only hope, and one was she pursuing with dogged determination, was to suck cock so well that she could persuade the others from facefucking her or trying her other holes. Levi doubted she'd last the night, but she was certainly giving her all. If she did survive, it would prove she could make a decent fucktoy. And if she didn't... no great loss.

And placed between the three girls, Akemi was still the star of the party. She'd recovered some of her stamina after a while, but it wasn't helping her any. She was on her back, sandwiched by two foxes. Their two cocks together were wider than she was, but they'd forced them in anyway, creating a visible bulge. Levi had confirmed that the healing ability she somehow still possessed was repairing her holes, and that knowledge had encouraged people to be even rougher with her.

Levi himself was at her front, enjoying her throat. She was such a tight fit that she couldn't even scream. No matter how hard she tried - and all three men inside her were giving her plenty of encouragement - nothing happened but a warm buzzing around his cock. One of his tails was wrapped around her neck, and he was using it to slam her face into his crotch repeatedly, the knot of his cock smacking her mouth hard enough to give her a fat lip. She'd already passed out a few times, but he didn't care; her gullet remained tight whether she was awake or not, and besides, it was never too early to teach a new fucktoy that oxygen was a privilege.

Her head flopped bonelessly as he ramrodded her soft throat, imagining each thrust as a payback for a different time she'd used this same mouth, the one now drooling around his cock, to insult him. The only sign he had that she was still conscious was that buzzing around him. That and the wetness of her tears running down his legs.

As his orgasm approached, he finally forced his knot past her lips, dislocating her jaw in order to cram the entire thing into her bulging mouth. Once he was fully inside her he shot his hot cum into her stomach, pressing her hard against him. Levi felt her squirming, trying to somehow avoid the warm semen he was spitting down her throat, and it nearly made him smile. Completely helpless, just like she should be.

When he was done, he pulled back and lifted her head up to get a good look at her face. There was little sign of the confident leader he'd seen earlier that day. Her mouth hung slack jawed, leaking cum and spittle onto the floor. Her features were covered by half healed bruises where he'd bashed her against himself, and her eyes were half closed and unfocused. No longer gagged by his cock, she was finally able to voice her cries, but after the pummeling he'd given her throat, they were coming out as little more than quiet, raspy sighs.

It was a good look for her, but he wasn't quite satisfied yet. This wasn't just another arrogant bitch who needed to be shown her place. This cunt had spent the last ten months thinking she was better than him, and taking every opportunity to humiliate him. So he leaned in close, until his lips were by her ear, and whispered so quietly that even the two foxes turning her lower holes inside out couldn't catch it. "Everyone here is going to die," he told her.

She stiffened and tried to speak, but he still had his tail around her neck, and he tightened it viciously, choking her while he talked. "Did you honestly think I would have any use for these idiots? When we get to Paragon, they're going to be dissected and experimented on. If we don't need all of them, we'll just kill the extras. Either way, they need to die. Only a select few can be allowed to know about the fox marbles and how they work."

The vulpan had been doomed the moment Paragon had confirmed the rumors of their existence. In the war between humanity and all the subhuman trash that littered the world, the marbles were exactly what they needed for a decisive victory within their lifetimes. Levi had already been operating independently under an alias at the time, for his own protection as much as anything else - there were plenty of monsters out there yearning for revenge against the Petrov family. It had proved the perfect cover to accomplish their goals: acquire fox marbles, learn their secrets, and ensure that no one else could do the same. Soon Karakostas and the Paradisium would be the only faction outside of Paragon with access, and that was fine; eventually it would be the dragon's time to burn just like any other subhuman, and now that they were in charge of his stronghold's defenses, it would be all too easy.

Levi slid another tail into Akemi's mouth and straight down her throat, making her gag and convulse as he continued whispering to her. "Not all of them will die at Paragon or the Paradisium, though. You see that group over by the corner? Four of your Vixens and a few others? They're going to try and rescue you tonight. Not immediately; first all of them, the only people in the entire world who care about you, are going to rape you even harder than the others so that no one suspects them. Your throat will be too busy getting stuffed with one cock or another all night long to say a proper farewell to them, so you'll have to settle for hugging their dicks and tails goodbye while they're ripping open your holes. Celeste already has orders to freeze the men to death the moment they try something, and the women... well, there's going to be a few more holes for everyone afterward. They'll die eventually too, but only after I'm done with them, and toss them to the Paradisium as meat."

Akemi was moaning and twitching. It was the most she could do to fight back, and it was so pathetic that his cock demanded to get back inside her. "But not you, bitch. You get to live. You get to spend the rest of your life servicing the man who murdered your entire pathetic family of traitors. You'll lick his feet, you'll suck his cock, and you'll spread your legs. And every time you do, every time another little piece of your soul dies, try to remember: it's all your fault. If you'd treated me with the respect I deserved, I'd have let you die with everyone else."

He pulled away and took a second to admire the hopeless despair on her face, then yanked his tail out of her mouth and pushed her head back down so he could fill it with cock again. He resumed using her skull as a fleshlight while fresh tears dripped onto his legs and her throat buzzed and buzzed and buzzed.

**********

Levi returned to his lodgings alone that evening. Brie and all three of his fucktoys were still busy getting used hard by the vulpan. According to Tanya, there was roughly two hours left before the ones still loyal to Akemi tried to rescue her. By now, the faerie cunt was probably looking forward to it; keeping a hundred vulpan satisfied wasn't easy with so few holes to go around.

There was a large square package by the door with a handwritten note pinned to it. Levi eyed it warily until realizing he recognized the handwriting.

_To Mr. Matthew Levinson,_

_In appreciation of your courage and assistance acting as my bodyguard, I have asked our host to provide a suitable gift as commensuration. I trust you will find it to your liking._

_Sincerely,_

_Ilya Petrov_

Both curious and amused, Levi brought the package inside before opening it. When he saw the contents, he couldn't keep from laughing out loud. "I'd wondered what had happened to you, Morris."

His runaway captive looked up at him. Judging from the dried cum running down her legs and plastered to her chin, she'd been busy in the two days since the Game had ended. The fox slut had been hogtied with at least three times more metal cords than he'd used on her at the ball, and they'd been positioned so as to give her minimum leverage if she tried to break them. The old man must've believed him when he said the fox might have broken her bonds.

She wore a ballgag, and there was something in her mouth making her cheeks bulge. When he removed the gag, a pile of used condoms tumbled out onto the floor in a sticky, congealed mess. He probed her twat and ass, and found similar bundles, more than a hundred cum filled baggies in total. Make that **very** busy in the last two days.

A single condom was different from the others. Instead of spent cum, it contained a small metal key, and a slip of paper with tiny handwriting.

_Hi Levi!_

_Helped the Paradisium staff show Ginger a good time while you and Dad were busy. Figured she could drown her sorrows in cum, y'know? ;) Hope you enjoyed Akemi! Anyway, I gotta run - SOMEBODY who doesn't appreciate his little sister nearly enough is going to corner her in the hallway in a few minutes and drag her away for some heavy spanking and rough buttfucking <3_

_P.S. I told her to pass the time by sucking the cum out of the ones in her mouth. I'm sure you won't mind punishing her for failing :)_

_P.P.S. You're gonna want to punish me again soon, so I'll save you the trouble of tracking me down. I'll be in my room, handcuffed to the headboard. I'm enclosing the only key, so I'll be COMPLETELY at your mercy until you decide I've suffered enough <3 <3 <3_

Sometimes he really didn't understand that girl. Levi had no idea why he was going to be angry with Tanya again soon, but he knew better than to doubt her word, so he pocketed the key she'd left him.

"You're not as smart as I thought you were, Morris," he told the fox as he lifted her out of the crate and carried her towards the bed. "If you were, you would've thrown yourself to the spiders and counted your blessings. Now you'll be coming home with me instead. You're going to love the facilities at Paragon HQ. No improvised crap like we used out on the field, we've got dedicated, state of the art interrogation systems. I'm going to make your fox slut scream and scream and scream, while you think hard about how to give me the information I want."

Between his three fucktoys, they'd managed to sate even his marble-enhanced libido, and he'd been certain he wouldn't get it up again anytime soon. But as he put the fox down, he realized his cock was uncomfortably hard in his pants. He didn't want to risk transforming, wary of damaging the cords without realizing it, but he didn't need to be a fox to enjoy the slut. Whoever was responsible for the bondage, probably Tanya, had left it possible, with a bit of care, to push her legs apart and reach her lower holes.

Hundreds of fox marbles about to hand themselves over to him, the secret to an even greater power sitting right on his doorstep, and one of his favorite slaves now in his possession, with her cunt warm and tight around his cock. This had been a good day.


	20. Epilogue

Samantha was dead.

Seo-yun waited silently on the bed, in the spot where Levinson had placed her before leaving that morning. He hadn't removed a single strap of the tight bondage encasing her entire body, and her limbs ached from being forced into the hogtie for so long. He'd left her with a new pain as well: he'd placed her face up against the wall, so close that her nose brushed the peeling wallpaper, and nailed her tongue to it. The only way to keep her tongue from being ripped out was to hold perfectly still, even moreso than the cords kept her... which was why he'd rubbed itching powder all over her before he left. And why he'd blindfolded her and put ear plugs in as a final act of sadism, heightening her discomfort by robbing her of other sensations. She could do nothing but wait there, blind and deaf, until he returned to hurt her some more.

The fox had spent all night being raped by him, sometimes in human form and sometimes in fox. She'd barely noticed the difference. He'd kept talking to her, alternating between threats and insults, but she'd only been half listening, her mind elsewhere. All of the pain and humiliation that he'd heaped on her had been like cascading rainwater. She was soaked in it, drenched from head to toe, but it couldn't get further than skin deep, and when you weren't focused on it, it became meaningless white noise.

Samantha was dead.

Her lack of reaction had eventually earned her a beating. She'd paid that no more mind than anything else. He'd taunted her about the Wilmingshires and Celeste, showed her the cage that Jessica now lived in and gloated about things he'd made the winter fae do to herself. When that failed to garner a reaction as well, Levinson had called her things like "empty headed cunt", but he'd still been in a better mood than she'd ever seen him. He'd laughed at her for breaking so easily, for losing all her fire and determination in the wake of Sam's death and trying to hide away inside her head.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Seo-yun felt more awake than she'd ever been, her head bursting with activity. She didn't ignore Levinson's torture because there was nothing left inside; she did it because she had more important things on her mind. Morris's death last year had devastated her, but she wasn't the same person she'd been back then. She wasn't even the same person she'd been last week. There was still grief inside her, thick and heavy, but it wasn't a weight that clouded her thoughts and pulled her down, it was fuel that ignited them and pushed her forward. For three centuries she'd lived with nothing more than a vague purpose even in the best of times, but now everything was razor sharp, focused like never before.

Samantha was dead. And Seo-yun was going to make her death mean something.

She was going to bring down the Paradisium. Brick by brick, if necessary. No more slaves, no more meat, no more sick games. She didn't know how yet, didn't even know how she'd escape from Levinson's clutches, but that didn't matter. The risks didn't matter. The cost of failure didn't matter. What mattered was bringing an end to the Paradisium's mass produced suffering. What mattered was curing this festering blight that had afflicted so many for so long. What mattered was creating a legacy that Sam would be proud of.

The Paradisium was scared of her, that much was clear. It was why they'd attacked and restrained her the moment she'd entered the elevator, too exhausted and stunned to put up a fight. It was why they'd kept constant vigil over her for the day and a half she'd been in their custody, even though the bindings designed by Crikey - Tanya - and the man she called father, Ilya Petrov, had proven impossible to break out of. She was reasonably certain that it was also why the dragon Karakostas had easily accepted Petrov's request to give her to Levinson: he wanted her far away from here.

He was right to fear her. The opportunity for escape would come someday, even if she had to live another three centuries to see it. She knew Levinson was going to try and break her down, had seen his methods and their effectiveness during the two weeks of hell in his camp. But he was a fool. He'd broken her in the past, and she'd been reforged even stronger than before. The same would happen again, and again, and again, as many times as it took. It was a battle of wills, and for all Levinson's cruelty he was just a single self-centered, arrogant, violent man; Seo-yun had the strength of thousands behind her.

It was thoughts like these that consumed her while she waited in darkness and silence, their fire making all the aches and pains that Levinson had left her with seem meaningless. She could feel that Morris was in the same state, as worked up as she was. The two of them were in this together, and they were going to see it through. For Sam.

Seo-yun felt the tiny vibration of the door opening; Levinson had returned. She couldn't see or hear him, but she felt his footsteps as he came into the room, felt the creak of the bed as he joined her on it. His fingers began to pry the nail out of the wall. He was going slowly, trying to prolong the pain of it, but for once he'd made a rare mistake in his sadism. The movements were so slow that they were practically gentle, and there was almost no pain at all as he removed the nail from her tongue.

Next he removed the blindfold and the earplugs. She stared placidly at the wall when they were gone, not bothering to move her head. He wanted a reaction from her. A plea for mercy, or even an oath of revenge. Something to prove that he'd gotten to her. But she wasn't interested in doing what he wanted anymore, so she didn't give him the satisfaction.

"You taking a nap, Yip Yip?" came a familiar voice as fingers starting undoing her bindings. "And here I thought you'd be happy to see me." Seo-yun's eyes widened. No... it couldn't... she rolled over onto her back, finally looking at the person in the room with her. A redhead with a wiry athlete's frame, her toned body lined with scars and burns, her face covered with piercings and tattooed insults. Years of abuse had prematurely aged her, left her face weathered, but there was a fire behind her eyes that could have outshone the sun.

Seo-yun had never seen someone more beautiful.

  
"Sam!"

**********

She'd failed. She was still alive.

That was the first thought that came to Fiona as she began to wake up. She'd been hoping that she never would. When Bolinar had lost his temper and struck her across the face, she'd very nearly smiled, thinking that she was finally about to escape the bald bastard. But she'd never been all that lucky, had she?

As her senses slowly returned, bringing with them a bonus pounding headache, she was surprised to realize that she was on a bed. An actual fucking bed, with sheets and everything. She'd occasionally been fucked on top of dirty mattresses on the floor, sure, but a bed? The cuffs on her wrists keeping them locked to the headboard felt way more familiar. She was in a small bedroom with yellowed walls and a single window where sunlight streamed in. Somewhere in the Paradisium, probably? Maybe? It didn't really matter.

There was a dresser and a mirror next to the bed, and she could see her own reflection in it: a lanky woman, blue haired, with a horn on her forehead and a MEAT tattoo and... clothes? "What the fuck?" the unicorn whispered through cracked lips. This was **bizarre**. What the hell was going on?

She tried to remember exactly what she'd been doing before she'd been knocked out. Her memory was fuzzy and incomplete, but the more she focused, the more it began to resolve. She'd been getting used hard by three guys - two were fucking her, and the other was being an asshole with a hammer - and Bolinar had spotted a fresh face. Right, some Middle Eastern guy who looked like someone had just run over his dog. Bolinar always loved the fresh faces. They were the easiest to get to bite, and half of them were naive rich pricks who'd tip him a small fortune because they didn't know any better.

It had been three years since Fiona was marked as meat. She was pretty sure that no one with the tattoo had ever survived as long as she had. Lucky sons of bitches. Her owner had tattooed her, but not because he wanted to throw her away and get someone new. No, Bolinar was a **businessman**. There was never enough meat to keep everyone happy, so he'd figured, why not offer some reusable ones? He'd rent Fiona out to people by the hour with just two rules: no touching her horn, and no killing her. Outside of that, they could do whatever the fuck they wanted to her, and they usually did. A lot of the veterans, they were just in it for the death, so they didn't bother with her, but there were plenty of newbies out there. Guys who were sick enough to want to rape and torture someone, but also too pussy to actually go ahead with it.

Bolinar had gone in hard on his elevator pitch. He must have had some reason to think that Sad Sack was loaded, because he'd been practically giving him a sloppy blowjob by the end of it. Fiona had heard it all a million times. _Aren't you curious about what it's like to really show a woman who's in charge? No namby pamby slapping or whipping, but real, honest to God brutality? For just a few grand, you can finally see what it's like for yourself. Don't worry, this unicorn bitch can take it and then some. You wanna rip off her limbs? Roast her clit? Skullfuck her? There's nothing she hasn't seen before, and that horn of hers will fix her right up, lickety split. Just think of her as a practice run. You like what you see, maybe you go find some other meat tomorrow. And if it's not for you, hey, at least now you'll know, right? And you won't have embarrassed yourself in front of anyone. No harm, no foul._

Her fucking ass no harm, no foul. Yeah, her horn could heal herself, but it didn't do shit for the pain. And its powers were getting weaker every day. That was this fucking world for you: a unicorn's natural abilities were based on **purity** and **love** and being a sweet innocent little flower who got the vapors just from seeing a bulge in some guy's pants. Every single time they fucked her, every single goddamn time, she was permanently weakened just a little bit more. Bolinar had already started talking about lining up a final job once she didn't have enough juice left to keep fixing herself. She'd picked up a few regulars over time, and some of them would pay out the nose to finally go all the way with their murder boner.

That's why she'd jumped at her chance for an early exit. Fuck waiting around for the day he decided to torture her to death. And it had been fucking perfect too. She was pissed that it had failed. Hammer guy had cracked her skull in at least three different places along the way, along with smashing the shit out of everywhere else. It had been **almost** enough to kill her. She'd just needed a little bit more. So when Bolinar had brought Sad Sack over to inspect her, she'd done to the guy what she'd always wanted to do to every last fuckface who paid money to make her their punching bag: she'd spat in his face and did her best to drive his balls into his stomach with her knee. She'd figured if Bolinar was so interested in Sad Sack's wallet, he was probably a big deal, and attacking him would humiliate her owner enough to lose control of himself.

And she'd been right. That was the worst fucking part. Bolinar had given her a look like she'd just shat in his supper, and started wailing on her. She'd been certain that was it, but then... the memory returned. Sad Sack had stopped the man from finishing the job. Yeah, now she remembered. She'd been half out of it, her brain scrambled, but the last thing she'd seen before passing out was the fucker asking Bolinar about purchasing her. He must have done it, right? Sold her to that guy, who had probably already creamed his pants twice over imagining how he was gonna torture her to death for attacking him. "Fuck me," she breathed.

She looked around the room, hoping Sad Sack had been stupid enough to leave something nearby that she could kill herself with. Probably not if he'd been cautious enough to handcuff her, but she didn't have a lot of other options by now. No luck. The clothes were a sick fucking touch, that was for certain. Pervert probably wanted to do a little roleplay before he had his fun. Would he talk to her like she was his ex-girlfriend, or his mother, or just some random bitch who'd refused to bring him home and spread her legs because he smiled at her? Or maybe she was gonna be Innocent Housewife or Sexy College Co-Ed, about to get mauled in her own bed by an intruder so he could feel like a big powerful predator.

Fiona had to wait nearly an hour before Sad Sack finally got around to showing up. He didn't look quite as miserable as he had before; no surprise there. How could he be sad when he had his very own unicorn to fuck to death? He even smiled at he sight of her as he came in with a tray bearing a glass of water and some kind of stew she'd never seen before that smelled of garlic and onions. "My name is Muhtadi Basara," he said, "and you are safe now."

Yeah, that was real fucking likely. Every other guy who used her tried a line like that out. Sadistic bastards who got an extra little tingle in their nutsacks at the idea of making their victim think they were there to help. Sometimes they could barely stop themselves from laughing while they said it, and sometimes they tried to really draw that shit out. No less than four of her regulars had played the "I've fallen in love with you, and want to sweep you away to safety" card, and then wondered why she wasn't shocked when their dashing rescue attempt ended in betrayal.

"Get fucked, shitbird," she told him. She'd never been big on politeness, and she sure as fuck wasn't going to make an effort for her soon-to-be killer.

She'd hoped her insult would piss him off, but it didn't get a reaction from him. "I know it is difficult to believe," he told her, "and that I have done nothing to earn your trust, but it is the truth. I will not harm you or keep you here."

Fiona rolled her eyes and then rattled her handcuffs. "Yeah, you're a real fucking angel. Even got me this nice shiny jewelry." To her satisfaction, that did seem to get through to him, but instead of getting angry, he just winced.

"I was informed by your former owner that you might attempt to kill yourself," Basara said. "I didn't want you to do anything regrettable before you learned of your situation."

"Yeah, sure, I'm free, you're awesome, now you can uncuff me."

He made no move to take off her handcuffs. What a fucking shock. "I will free you shortly," he said instead. "First, I want to share some information with you. I am aware that once I take off those cuffs, you will likely bolt immediately. I cannot blame you for that reaction, or fault its wisdom, but there are things I'd like you to know before that happens. It would also be good if you replenished some nutrients. Even if your former owner fed you properly, which I would very much doubt, you have been asleep for the last four days." He took a seat next to the bed and offered her a spoonful of the stew.

Did he think she was some kind of fucking idiot just because she was a slave? Sure, sure, she'd been asleep for days, and an hour after waking he just happened to show up with a hot meal ready for her? Yeah, made perfect sense. Asshole couldn't even lie properly. He must have had a hidden camera set up in here that had told him when she woke up. Everyone knew all the really heroic motherfuckers secretly spied on the people they were rescuing. "Uh huh, I'll pass on the piss soup," she told him. "But go ahead, I'm sure you got loaaaaaads of important info to share, don't you? What is it? Is it vitally important that I discover how your cock tastes? No, wait, I got it, you want to make sure that I know I'm a... stupid fucking twat who's gonna die screaming? Is that the gist of it?'

"The stew is just normal tsuivan," he told her. "I have added nothing poisonous or foul to it." He brought the spoon to his own lips and downed the contents without hesitation. Then he added, looking slightly apologetic, "well, it is not **entirely** normal tsuivan. I did not know your preferences, so I requested the vegan version to be safe. If you would prefer one with meat, the restaurant is only a short distance away."

Okay. This guy was **weird**. Usually, even the guys who were serious about tricking her gave up when she made it clear that she wasn't going to play along. Either this guy was real into this fucking game he was playing, or he was being sincere. And since he'd been at the goddamn Paradisium, there was no fucking way it was the second option. The only decent people who visited that hellhole were the ones in chains. On the other hand, she was starving and that stew smelled really fucking good. Even if he had laced it with something, there were worse ways to go than with a warm meal in her stomach, and not the usual kind that had been squirted out of some motherfucker's dick. So when Basara offered her another spoonful, she accepted it.

"Oh fuuuuuuuuck that's good," she breathed. She'd forgotten how good real food could taste. When Bolinar fed her anything other than cum or dog food, it was always something rotten, or moldy, or otherwise disgusting and inedible. But this stuff was warm, and fresh, and fucking delicious. "I think my tastebuds just came."

"I have to admit, you are... not what I expected," Basara said as he continued helping her eat. "I thought you would be more..."

"Meek? Cowering?" She snapped her fingers and nodded her head. " **Grateful**. That's the one, right?" In a fawning voice, she said, "Oh thank you, Master Basara, for rescuing this pitiful, helpless wretch of a slave girl. You've been so good to her! She prays that you'll be generous enough to feed her some of your thick, gooey baby batter for dessert." Then, more normally, "That more like what you were hoping for, champ?"

"No, not at all. And 'hope' is the wrong word. So many of the marked women I saw there seemed like they had become the walking dead. It is a pleasant surprise to find that you still have so much life inside of you. Were you only recently made into a slave?"

So he liked them feisty. Okay, that made sense. He wasn't looking for a lifeless puppet to jack off into, he wanted someone who'd squirm and fight and eventually beg for mercy before she died. That's why he was trying to build her back up with all this rescue bullshit. Soon she'd be hearing about how he really, really **wanted** to let her go, but he just couldn't pull it off quite yet. Probably claim he was still scared she was gonna hurt herself, like chaining her to a bed had made him her fucking protector. Fiona relaxed slightly. Now that she understood the game, she could play along properly. If this guy was as fresh faced as he looked, he might just fuck up and give her a genuine chance to escape before he got around to killing her.

"Got myself bagged by a professional eight years ago," she told him. "Real fuckface by the name of Skinner. You wanna know why he got hired to hunt down a unicorn? Cause some motherfucker's daughter asked her motherfucking father if she could have one for her motherfucking eighteenth birthday. I spent two months in that family's basement with trained professionals beating the shit out of me, and by the time the girl's birthday party rolled around, I trotted out as a docile little unicorn playmate. Even wore these fucking boots and gloves that looked like hooves, and spent half a goddamn day scrambling around on all fours while she rode me. Course, about four months later all her friends had decided that unicorns were stupid now, and she didn't care about me anymore, so her dad decided to try a different kind of riding with me. I tried to fight back at first, but it only took a few hours with a crop before I was back on all fours.

"For the next five years, I was just another empty headed, unresponsive fucktoy. Never talked back, never tried to escape, never disobeyed an order. Just fucked and sucked with the best of 'em. I got so boring I was traded around a few times. Anyone else as fucked out as me probably would've been taken out back and shot, but there's a whole lot of sickos out there like you who get rock hard at the thought of fucking and defiling a unicorn."

Basara gave her a look of feigned sympathy. Like she wouldn't have bet a million dollars he was nursing a stiffy from listening about how she'd gotten fucked around. Yeah, this asshole was definitely trying to charm her. Fucker probably thought all it took was a pretty face and pretending to give a shit to get her soaking wet. Would he try to fuck her tonight? Nah, he'd give it a day. Let her think he was such a perfect gentlemen for not raping the girl he had chained to a bed. "What changed after five years?" he asked.

"I got sold to this shit head named Bolinar. By then I was just a fleshlight on two legs, and even the unicorn fuckers had figured out it was more exciting to pound a bowl of mashed taters than one of my holes. But Bolinar just wanted another set of hands. He was already trying to figure out ways to turn a profit, and his first idea was that he'd pick up some cheap slaves, I'd do most of the grunt work involved in training them up, and then he'd flip 'em."

"Did that work?"

"Hell no. I was so zoned out by that point that if he'd asked me to scoop one of my eyes out with a spoon, I'd just have asked him which one. But it turned out, even I still had standards: I don't hurt people."

"Don't hurt most people," Basara corrected. "My groin remembers very well that you are capable of making exceptions." The fucker was actually **smiling** as he said it, like trying to smash his family jewels was a fond memory.

"Fine, I don't hurt **innocent** people," Fiona said, rolling her eyes. "Bolinar asked me to whip one of his slaves for him, and I said no. Then he threatened to whip me instead, and I said no. Then he actually whipped me, and I said no. Things kept escalating from there; he kept doing worse and worse shit, and I kept feeling better and better about telling him to fuck off. It meant that there was still a piece of me all those fuckers hadn't destroyed. First time in years I felt like I was more than just a cum dump. So it gets to the point where he's pissed enough to start really laying into me, ready to beat me to death because what the hell else is he gonna do with a slave that won't do as she's told. And he's doing shit that would've killed one of his other slaves ten times over, but my horn keeps bringing me back. But then all of a sudden he stops, because it finally hits him that there were people out there who'd pay good money to get to do what he's doing right now. So next time the Game comes around, I'm tattooed and working the floor."

"I cannot pretend that I fully understand the horrors you've had to go through," said Basara as he fed her the last of the stew. "But it seems to me that you are an amazing individual for coming through them as you have. I am sure Camiel would love to..." He stopped short, looking pained. "I... am sure Camiel would have loved to meet you," he finished.

"Was that your last slave?" she asked snidely. "Aww, what went wrong? You accidentally choke her to death on your cock? Forget to feed her for a few days too many?"

She'd said it to try and hurt him, but she hadn't expected to be so successful. His face turned gray, and he reeled back like she'd punched him. His mouth opened, but nothing came out for a few seconds. Finally he managed "Camiel is... my wife. She was taken from me and... turned into a slave..."

Don't you fucking dare do this, Fiona told herself. Don't you fucking dare feel sorry for him. He's a lying sack of shit. For all you know, this Camiel chick was in the fucking stew he just fed you. If she exists at all, and isn't just some sob story he's using to generate sympathy, she probably left him when she found out what a sick freak he was. Or maybe she really was turned into a slave, and it was all because her shitstain of a husband wanted some cash.

"I am sorry," Basara said, wiping his eyes with the back of a hand. "I should not have brought her up. It is not a concern of yours." He looked around. "And I am being selfish, talking to you like this instead of saying what I came here to say and then releasing you. You have my apologies." He took a deep breath. "You're in a town about three hundred miles west of the Paradisium. I wanted to be sure we were away from its influence, as much as anyone can ever escape it, that is. The place is small enough that few would think to look here if they tried to pursue you, and large enough that the locals take no notice of strangers. We're on the second floor of a hotel that was willing to take cash and leave names off of the books."

He pointed at the dresser. "I've left you some money, a gun for protection, and additional sets of clothing in there. I... did not know if it is your habit to conceal your horn or not, so I tried to accommodate that, though the options here were limited." She rolled her eyes at that. He was trying way too hard to pretend to be helpful. She'd never been able to find anything that she could wear to keep her horn hidden. If she had, she wouldn't have gotten herself captured in the first place. He sure as hell hadn't found something after a couple hours of window shopping. "I have also provided the contact info for some organizations Camiel has worked with in the past to provide assistance to those in need. I can vouch that they are all trustworthy, and staffed by people who will have your best interests at heart. I have circled the two that are experienced with assisting refugees in obtaining identification papers; they should be able to get you a passport and any other IDs you require."

Basara looked up at the ceiling. "I believe that was everything I had to say." He took a key out of his pocket, and Fiona braced herself. Was this where he dropped the act and started hurting her? Or was he about to pull out some bullshit excuse like the key not fitting? All she knew was that there was no way he was really going to-

There was a click as he turned the key, and the cuffs sprang open. Basara gently extracted them from her wrists and placed them on the dresser before bowing. " I will take my leave now. The room is paid up for the next week, so you are welcome to stay here after I have exited, but I will understand if you'd rather make haste." He smiled sadly. "It was very nice to meet you. I am sorry it could not happen under happier circumstances." He bowed once more, then turned and left the room.

Fiona held her breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. He hadn't really just left. He had to be standing right outside, trying not to laugh out loud. There was probably a whole crowd of guys on the other side of that door, waiting to swarm in and gangbang her all night long. She rose from the bed, wondering where the hidden cameras had to be, and opened the door he'd gone through. An empty hotel hallway greeted her. No Basara. No mob of rapists.

She closed the door and went to the window. She didn't recognize her surroundings, but the mountains in the distance told her that it wasn't anywhere near the Paradisium. Below her was a busy street full of people passing by in both directions. Normal people, not fantastical slaves or sneering rich assholes, just men and women going about their business. And there! She caught sight of Basara moving through the crowd. He was heading away from the hotel, and not looking back.

The top dresser drawer contained everything he had promised: several thousand dollars worth of currency, a small gun that she'd be able to conceal easily, and some scraps of newspaper with names and numbers written in the margins. The bottom two drawers contained a mix of underwear, shirts, pants, dresses, and... the largest fucking sun hat she'd ever seen. She put it on and had to laugh when she checked herself in the mirror. She looked like Carmen freaking Sandiego on holiday. It was ridiculous and adorable and it hid her horn perfectly. The bastard had told the truth. He really had fucking done it.

Fiona's smile faded as she looked at her reflection. He'd been telling the truth. About everything. She mentally reviewed the conversation and... "oh fuck," she said, sitting back down on the bed. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck." She tilted her hat down, ashamed to even look at herself right now. He hadn't been acting like a twisted psycho, he'd just been the first guy to treat her like a real person in years, and in return, she'd... "fuuuuuck," she groaned. "I can be such a fucking idiot sometimes."

She had to talk to him again, if only to apologize for the way she'd acted. She looked out the window again. She could still see Basara, but he was much farther away by now. She started toward the door, then stopped. It would take several minutes to make her way downstairs and find the exit, and in far less time he'd be out of sight completely. No way in hell would she be able to track him after that. "Well, fuck stairs then," she said to herself, and vaulted out the window.

Fiona hit the ground hard, sending bolts of pain up her legs, but she ate worse pain than that for breakfast. Ignoring her legs and the gawking pedestrians, she sprinted after Basara, shoving her way through the crowds. She wasn't letting him get away that easily. "Hey!" she yelled as she ran after him. "Hey, wait the hell up!"

To her relief, he stopped and looked back at her. "Is something wrong?" he asked, concerned.

She ran the rest of the way to catch up to him, panting for breath once she'd made it. "Is something... I've been treating you like shit after you saved my freaking life, and the first thing you ask me is if something's wrong? Who the fuck **are** you?"

He gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I am no one special, and you have done nothing wrong in your treatment of me. In your life, there are many people who have been unkind to you. It is their fault that for your own safety you must now assume the worst in others, not yours. I would be a fool if I expected you to trust me before that trust has been earned."

Who the fuck even talked like that? "Why?" she asked, staring at him.

Basara seemed to know exactly what she was asking. "I rescued you because I could." His eyes turned distant. "Because I wanted to know that at least **some** good had come from attending the Paradisium. You are not the only one I freed. I had hoped to purchase more of the women who were marked, but you were the only one I could manage, thanks to the help of a 'friend' who did me a favor. The others were all regular slaves, and in better physical condition than I had found you in. I was able to drop them off in groups of three or four in the six other towns we stopped at before this one. It was not nearly enough people, compared to the thousands I had to leave behind in that place, but..." He sighed. "Little bits of good," he said, more to himself than to her.

"So it's all true?" She could still hardly believe it. "I spend the last eight years getting beaten and raped and treated like scum, and then you show up and just like that, I'm free? A week ago, the most I could hope for was that some idiot would get careless with a knife and nick one too many arteries. Now I'm supposed to forget about all that and go back to being a normal person? It's a lot to fucking take in."

"You are right," he agreed, nodding. "But no one is expecting you to run before you can walk. Take things at your own pace. Before you woke up, I was worried about leaving you here alone. I did not know what trauma you had been through, or what damage the experience had done to your psyche. If I had known you would wake so soon, I would have asked some of the other women to travel with me to this place so that they could remain and help you, but it was possible that you would be in that state for weeks, and I could not ask them to wait for so long. But just a few minutes of speaking with you showed me that I have nothing to fear. You seem to me to be a strong, capable woman. For all that your captors did to you, they could not take that away."

The unicorn considered her possibilities. Staying here didn't sound too bad, but she'd rather be three thousand miles from the Paradisium than three hundred. Should she try and return home, then? Sure, if she could manage it, but her family would've picked up everything and fled as soon as they found out she'd been captured. It was possible that they'd left her some kind of message or clue to find them, but she hoped that they weren't that fucking stupid. She'd seen more than a few entire families of slaves pass through the Paradisium; capture one, break her down until she'll do whatever you want, and then use her to sweep up everyone she knows. Something like that was way more likely than a slave actually managing to escape.

A lingering suspicion gnawed at the woman. "There's one thing that still doesn't make sense. You came in with that tsoo-whatever stew stuff after I woke up."

"Yes," he said, slightly confused at the subject.

"If I'd been asleep for the last four days, how did you know to bring me a hot, fresh meal like that?"

"Well..." Basara hesitated, decidedly uncomfortable, and Fiona fought back the spike of panic in her gut. Had this entire thing been an elaborate ruse after all? "The tsuivan was not actually for you," he admitted. "Not specifically. I **had** hoped to find you awake when I returned, and intended to offer you the tsuivan if I did, but I had not expected it..." His stomach growled.

"So you gave me your own dinner," Fiona finished for him. "Jesus fucking Christ, you really are a goddamn angel, aren't you?"

"No," he said, weirdly pained by the compliment. "I am not. I am only a man who could not protect what was most important to him."

Fiona remembered what he'd told her about his wife, and felt even guiltier about the way she'd treated him. She didn't know the circumstances behind it, but the poor guy deserved better than a knee to the sack and his food stolen. He looked... so empty. Like he'd been hollowed out by everything he'd gone through. She knew the feeling.

He was planning to kill himself. Not directly, probably. But he was going to keep working himself to the bone, doing shit for other people without thinking of himself, and one day there'd be nothing left of him. And that would be a damn fucking shame. "Okay, first thing we're going to do is grab a bite to eat," she told him, deciding it even as she said it. She patted her pants pocket. "Some random stranger left me some money, so my treat, yeah? I know I just ate, and that stew was fucking delicious, but brother, I can eat like a horse when I'm hungry, and I've been starving for the last eight years. I could probably go through another four or five bowls of that stuff without breaking a sweat."

"I appreciate the gesture," he told her stiffly, "but it's unnecessary. You should really be-"

  
"You know the best part of being free?" The blue haired woman said, speaking right over him. "It's the part where I get to do what I want. And right now, what I want is to chill with my new friend and figure out how I can repay him for saving me." She held up her hands. "Look, if you want me gone, I get it. I'm an obnoxious loudmouth and proud of it. You say the word, I turn around and walk away. **But** , do that because it's what **you** want, man. Not cause you're supposed to be some self-sacrificing hero who rides off into the sunset while I cry and wave a kerchief."

Basara opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. "Thank you," he said quietly. "For... everything."

She punched him in the shoulder. "That's my line! Now come on." She slung her arm around him "Let's go get some more grub. Did they have any good booze there? No, wait, don't tell me, I'd rather be surprised. Yesterday sucked, tomorrow might be worse, but tonight, my friend, tonight we eat and drink and be merry!" His body was rigid at first, but then he relaxed and sagged against her, the tension leaving his frame.

"And when we get there," she promised him, "we'll talk about how we're gonna get your wife back."

**********

Fucking vampires.

Yuki suffered in the darkness. Her punishment had ended abruptly after she had finished sucking off Tommas and Braum at once, and she could still vividly remember the scramble to get her tails and figure out which one was supposed to go where, weeping in frustrated pain despite herself. She had lost count of how many times they had played this game with her... but the punishment was over. It had to have been seventeen.

It didn't feel like it had been seventeen.

Mordred had returned and abruptly insisted that they were leaving... now. Then her hard-won tails were used to all but cocoon her in place, wrapping her body before being tied off so thoroughly that she couldn't see and couldn't move before she had been tossed in a box and left. She had felt it when the car had stopped, when she had been loaded onto the plane, and her sensitive ears had popped painfully the whole way up before the other parts of her misery began to overwhelm the pain and humiliation of her inhumanly strict bondage. It was hot beneath her tails, making her sweat and feel disgusting as she soaked her own tails in perspiration. Then the two dildos that Master Mordred had crammed into her began to vibrate.

For the last few hours she could barely feel the two spiked dildos that the vampires had buried deep inside her but but her inner walls were raw and sore from their spiked intrusion, and even the slightest movement of her body caused those wickedly sharp spikes to jab at her ultra-sensitive membranes. Now they began to vibrate, tease at her... not violently but continuously, not stopping. She knew better than to think that she was going to enjoy this... Master Mordred was still punishing her for her lapse in judgment, after all. Still her body was teased and despite herself Yuki couldn't stop from getting aroused by it as it played with her again and again and again.

How much time had passed so far? An hour? A day? How long had she been on this plane? How long had to the trip to the Paradisium been... six days ago? It felt like year ago... she couldn't remember. It seemed like she'd been trapped in the dark for hours and hours but as far as she knew it might have only been minutes.

Yuki was... a skilled slave trainer. At this point, she was probably one of the best, though it brought her little pride to know it. She had helped groom all of Master Mordred's pet whores, training them and tormenting them, and she understood the suffering better than even her abusers did. Very often, the selkies she worked to break and trained actually seemed to prefer being tortured to being left alone. Being left alone meant that there was no chance of mercy, no one to hope might have a change of heart and release you... being trapped with no hope of escape with only your own thoughts and pain for company.

The thing is, knowing what was being done to her and why didn't hep her to resist it in the slightest.

Yuki tried to keep her body relaxed because she knew any movement at all would only hurt her more... those dildos inside of her would have been too large to fit without agony if there had only been one and there were instead two. Time, however, was not her ally... eventually her muscles cramped and she shuddered, and as it did she squirmed and moaned in pain. Yuki's thoughts began to drift, and soon she was not thinking at all, only suffering...

No.

She had floated through centuries like this, she realized. Moving in a haze. No purpose. Not thinking more than she had to. No more. She forced herself to experience it all, instead.

Something was happening to her body, she knew. She guessed that perhaps a few hours had passed, and she had grown almost accustomed to the pain. She knew of this phenomenon, from her own torments. Even the worst possible torture grew useless after a certain amount of time... The victim simply became numb. Now, however, something else was happening to accompany it. She tensed her whole body as she realized that she was growing soaking wet around those spiked monsters. The twin cocks nside her was large, when their unyielding spikes were considered they were even bigger. The two things had been firmly implanted in her, almost immobile, and kept there for a long time... and finally, her body began to respond to it the only way it knew how. Her pussy was getting wet, and her body was preparing itself for sexual pleasure.

More time passed, and the pleasure washing over her grew stronger. She couldn't see it but she could feel herself growing wetting and wetter, the burning heat of her body wrapped in a cocoon of her tails growing worse and worse. Yuki found herself breathing heavier. The more she tried to think about anything else, the more she was getting turned on and her attention dragged back to her sex. This seemed like a horrendous betrayal of her body but she couldn't stop it... Minute by minute, her excitement grew. When she felt a shockingly-hot droplet of her juices actually start to roll down her thighs, she twisted sharply in her bonds, despite herself.

The movement caused the spikes to dig sharply into her cunt. Yuki screamed in the darkness and the pain made her thrash more, which caused more pain and further screams and more pain and further screams and...

Furiously, the nogitsune forced herself to hold still... fighting against to pain not to flinch, not to move. It was quite a while before she could bring herself to stop screaming, or so it seemed to her, but when she finally calmed down she found herself a little less excited than before. The only way to fight her arousal was to cause herself intolerable pain... and Mordred would know if she came again.

Then, slowly, as she lay in the dark, her body began reacting to the vibrating dildos again. Those nightmare cocks unwilling driving her higher and higher. Soon, Yuki was groaning and gasping through her nose continuously. She tried to slow her breathing, but it was hopeless. Her pussy was soaking wet, and her juices practically flowed down her legs mixing with the sweat that covered her head to toe. Her face felt so hot she thought she would burst into flames, and the smell of fur threatened to make her gag.

She lay helpless like this, for hours, slowly beginning to wonder if being tortured actively by her cruel owner for cumming again was worth it, before she discovered the final brutal twist of Master Mordred's design. She couldn't. Yuki was so turned on now hat she was almost screaming. She wanted to thrash in her bonds, but she knew that would not get her what she wanted. Thrashing, and in fact any movement at all, would bring her nothing but pain. In order to cum, she needed to move, even just a tiny bit. The slightest breeze across her clit or movement inside her sex would do it... But there was nothing.

Her body, without consulting her, squeezed the cock inside her.

Yuki screamed in terrible agony as the spikes dug into her sensitive walls. She screamed and thrashed in her tails and despite herself she cried into her blinding fur. It felt like hours before she could calm down enough not to move, and her body had lapsed in it's excitement and desire, but she could feel it building back up again, but she knew now there was no way that she could cum and no way to avoid pain... her frustrated body would just suffer over and over and over again. She would go insane, if left this way too long. Kept right on the edge, continuously, for who knows how long. As her body climbed back up the ladder toward orgasm, she thought furiously. She wanted to thrash, instinctively. She knew she couldn't. Yet, every muscle in her body tensed anyway.

She hated him. She hated him she hated him she hated him she hated him she hated him she had to escape, somehow. She couldn't stay here in this position any longer. Her mind would shatter into a million pieces, and then escape would no longer matter.

Yuki suffered for an subjective eternity... her body was a bundle of raw nerve ending, every one of which was on the verge of explosion. She had been moaning constantly now since the second hour of her torment though to her it felt more like the 10th. Every inch of her body was on fire with waves of tortuous pleasure, and yet, as hard as she tried, she could not cum. Every inch of her body was aflame with agony, and yet she could not flinch away from it. Every inch of her body was scorching hot and covered with sweat yet she could not cool herself. The only 'relief' possible was to cause herself a brief flash where there was nothing but the pain, and after three of four times thrashing against her bonds, she was too scared to bring herself to try moving again.

Not that it mattered. Her treacherous cunt always would do it by itself eventually.

It had been night when she had been loaded into the plane and Yuki was certain that time must have progressed well into the next day by now. She had drifted in and out of consciousness, in spite of the pain... Her body simply could not withstand the strain of it. Her journeys into sleep were brief and restless, and troubled by dreams of helplessness and pain, but they existed regardless of what lack of solace they brought. She wasn't really a creature capable of any rational thought. Yuki felt more like an animal longing for the release of death. Her tears were dry and salty all over her face inside the leather hood, and her head was still so hot she thought she would spontaneously combust at any moment.

In a few rare instances when she was able to think above the level of raw instinct, however, her thoughts weren't driven by desperation or submission... never once did she think about pleading for mercy. Her mind burned with a fury hotter than the pain or pleasure that ruled her. She was a nogitsune... she was not afraid of monsters. Monsters were afraid of her, and she would never ever forget that again. Deep down beyond her conscious mind, she knew she whether she lived or died, she would not give herself to... Master... Mordred.

Then someone kicked her.

Yuki spasmed violently, shrieking around the pain of the dildo inside her which only amplified as the vampire grabbed them and violently yanked them out. The nogitsune thrashed as Master Mordred began speaking to her. "We're back," he said, voice cold. "Now we're back to business as usual... unless you want to give me further reason to see you suffer. Do you?"

She was glad she was gagged. She wasn't sure she would have been able to tell him where he could stick his suffering.

To her surprise, however, he didn't start untying her. "You're staying," he told her firmly. "Apparently, you have a pick up for me in Ireland... a new selkie. Good... you always are less useless when you have one of the bitches to train, and its been a while since we found a new one. Do well enough with the new slut, and maybe I won't find an excuse to do this to you every night." Master Mordred gave her another kick. "Understand?"

Yuki growled "Ay unneuhghann," she forced out.

She couldn't see anything but her dark fur, but she could still feel the smile in his voice as he spoke while he began to shove the twin spiked dildos into her ass this time. "Good! I'd hate to have to really hurt you, you furry little dumpster."

Yuki had many regrets in her life. She regretted more things than she cared to linger on. Right now, however, the thing she regretted most of all was that the vampire loved nothing enough to hurt as badly as she had hurt when Yuki took it away from him... but she'd make it work. Sometime, she would make it work.

**********

Astaria knelt in the dark, her back held straight and her wings neatly tucked behind her. It was difficult not to fidget like this - she ached everywhere, and the stiff posture wasn't helping - but she maintained her poise, hands clasped submissively in her lap. In front of her, her father slept in his bed, a lavish expanse of silks that could have fit the both of them easily. When he woke, he would expect to find her right where she was, and in this exact position. If he even suspected that she had broken it during the night, her morning would begin with her being beaten bloody and then raped to within an inch of her life. If he believed she'd behaved herself, she would "only" get the raped half to death part.

It was hard to believe she had only been her father's slave for a few days. How many times had he raped her already? Fifty? One hundred? His appetite seemed insatiable, and every violation of her doubled as a test of loyalty. She was always just one step away from a gruesome death. A single failure or moment of rebellion was all it would take to end her life.

If he knew what she was about to do, he wouldn't hesitate to finish marking her as meat.

The green haired woman took a deep breath and reached for her dragonfire. Her collar activated immediately, cutting off her breath and electrocuting her. Her body shook and shivered, caught in a punishing wave of agony. Quiet. She had to be quiet. One brief cry of pain, one thump of a limb against the floor, and Karakostas would wake and she would die. So Astaria held herself as still as possible, using every ounce of mental concentration she had to ride the wave soundlessly.

After far too long a time, the collar relented. The burning pain receded and the stoppage of her airway disappeared. Almost all of the dragonfire she'd called upon had dissipated the moment her breath had stopped, like water spilling from an overturned container.

Almost. All.

What she'd managed to hold onto was so impossibly meager that she could barely sense it at all. If her dragonfire was normally a raging inferno large enough to fill her entire being, what she had kept was the merest hint of warmth the size of a fingernail. But it was there. It had taken her ten attempts to gather even this much, but gather it she had.

The first time had been down in the webs. When she'd seen that horde of spiders sweeping towards them, she'd tried harder than ever to summon her dragonfire, pitting her will against the merciless torture device. She'd failed to transform, but she'd felt it afterward, that first tiniest spark of fire. Hesitant, fearful experimentation had taught her that the only way it worked was to put everything she had into the task. Only by throwing herself into the proverbial meat grinder could she come out the other side clutching her prize.

That latest one was for Delilah, she'd decided. The next would be for Gossamer.

Another deep breath, another hell of choking, burning pain. Astaria clung to the image of the fae woman in her head. She was doing this for her. It was too painful to endure for herself, but she could keep still and quiet if it was for someone else. She **had** to manage it, she told herself. For Gossamer's sake.

And then it was over, and her store of dragonfire had increased by so small a margin that she might have been imagining it. The ache of it lingered, her muscles cramped and her skin soaked in sweat from her exertion. Silent tears dropped down her cheeks. It hurt. Gods did it hurt. The collar seemed to grow more painful with each activation, and the last thing in the entire world she wanted to do right now was trigger it again, alone in the dark with death a hairs breadth away.

But Camiel needed her. So Astaria did it for her. And then for Du Jiao Shou. Then for Seo-yun. Then for Jenny. Then for Betty. Then for Tempest. Then for Sam. Then for White Hart. Then for Snowflake. When she ran out of people she knew, she did it for those she'd merely glimpsed. She did it for the Ulfethnar woman she'd seen nearly choke to death thanks to a callous owner, whose deadened expression had made it clear it wasn't the first time. She did it for the weeping selkie who'd begged the men to use her more gently, and received only mocking laughter and fresh bruises. She did it for the woman pleading with passerbys to purchase her before she was sold as meat, swearing her soul to anyone willing to keep her as a slave.

By the time she allowed herself to stop, the dragon had run through every last name and face she could remember three times over. Part of her wanted to do a fourth, but it would be morning soon. She'd need at least a couple hours of sleep to function as her father's humble slave tomorrow. The flickers of dragonfire were noticeably greater, enough to gently warm a thimble perhaps. It was less than a thousandth of what she needed to transform, but it was a start. Tomorrow night she would gather more, and the next night, and the next.

Astaria closed her eyes and let the exhaustion overwhelm her. Don't give up, she silently whispered as she sank into soft darkness. Please, none of you give up.

I'm on my way.

**********

Three days ago.

Samantha tried to evade Nadia's tails, but they were too fast and she was too slow, her injuries dulling her movements. Two of the slimy, foul smelling things wrapped around her, and she was unceremoniously shoved legs first into the beast's gaping maw.

All her struggling proved useless as she was swallowed up by the fox, and when she saw the creature's jaw slamming shut and heard the sound of flesh and bone crunching, she couldn't help but scream, certain she was being torn apart and expecting the terrible agony of it to wash over her at any moment.

But the pain didn't appear. She was far from comfortable where she was, but she felt intact and unchewed. Sam realized the truth when she looked again at the beast's jaw: her jagged, too large fangs were sinking into the roof of her own mouth. It was Nadia's own flesh and bone being destroyed, and the way she flinched with every bite told Sam that it must be excruciating, but she kept doing it, mashing her teeth together furiously.

Everything lurched, and Samantha realized Nadia was taking to the air again. She wanted to call out to Seo-yun, tell the woman that she was unhurt, but she didn't dare speak. If she was wrong about what was happening, she'd just be giving her false hope. And if she was right...

Nadia's flight didn't last long, and ended with a hard impact that loosened some of Sam's teeth. The beast was still after that, lying on her side. Sam could faintly see that her mouth hung open. The redhead began slowly climbing out of her, a difficult and disgusting process that took several minutes. She kept expecting Nadia to stir at any moment and kill her once and for all, but she offered no reaction whatsoever. Her labored breathing was the only sign that she still lived at all.

Sam found herself at the edge of the arena, Nadia's back against one of the walls. They'd crashed down to the very bottom. There was no sign of anything living around them, man or spider. She looked back at the fox, not yet daring to hope. The woman might just want to take her time killing her, or be insane and acting without purpose. But Nadia's eyes held only pain and exhaustion as she met her gaze. Her body had deteriorated even further than before. Her flesh was sloughing off, and her shape continued to bubble and deform, unable to hold. Her tails laid flat and lifeless on the ground, some of them no longer attached. "Why?" Sam asked softly.

Nadia's lungs rattled as she took in a deep breath. "Must... es... cape," she said finally, forcing the words out with effort. "Tanya... my sister... told me to kill you, so... had to help you... escape instead..." Her horrible face twisted into something that might have been a smile. "Never much... for doing... what I was told..."

Her limbs moved, and Sam saw then that they weren't empty. She held the mangled corpse of a red haired slave who looked to have died in the fall, unlucky enough to miss the webbing and making impact with the hard cement at the bottom instead. "Took a while... to find... a good one..." Nadia brought it up to her mouth and slowly chewed on the thing before swallowing it. It was a gruesome sight, especially knowing that it had almost happened to her, and if Sam hadn't already thrown up the contents of her stomach earlier, she would have done so now. "There..." Nadia said when she was finished, her mangled teeth now dripping with gore, "one dead... Ember..."

The fox was deteriorating more rapidly now. Her body had given up on holding any shape at all, and was slowly melting like candle wax. Everything except her wings, which remained perfect and whole down to the feather. They occasionally shivered and warped, as though they too were trying to dissolve, but a second later they would be restored to their proper form. "I'm sorry," Samantha said. "Really, I'm... you didn't deserve this."

Nadia shook her head and tried to smile again. "I'm not... sorry... finally... not useless... not a failure..." Her eyes focused on Sam, her gaze becoming more intense. "I'm not... doing this... for free, either... Paragon and... the Paradisium... they need to be stopped..."

"Leave it to me," Sam promised. She had no idea how to even begin doing something like that, but she'd never let that get her in her way before.

The dying girl made a sound that could have almost been a laugh. "My sister thought... you were dangerous... prove her right..." Her eyes were closed now, and her ragged breathing grew slower and calmer. "Wish I could have... helped more... maybe if I'd... been stronger..."

"Is there anything I can do?" Sam asked. "To... make this easier for you?"

"Don't worry... doesn't hurt anymore..." Nadia drew her wings around herself, what was left of her head sinking to rest on some of the soft feathers. "Dying's... not so bad, actually... might even... get to... say hi... to Belle... one... more......" Her body continued to shift and dissolve for a long time after that, but her eyes didn't open again, and her lungs drew no more breath.

*******

"After that, I waited until my mask disappeared, just in case," Samantha told Seo-yun as she finished removing the fox's bindings, "and then snuck into one of those access tunnels we saw down there."

"Poor Nadia..." Seo-yun said, stroking Sam's side with one hand. She still had a hard time accepting that this was real. That Samantha was alive and well and right here with her. "I wish I could have talked to her, found out what she knew. Maybe I could have stopped her. I wish..." She sighed. "Poor Nadia."

"Poor Tanya when I'm through with her," growled Samantha. "I knew I should have killed that damn koala."

Seo-yun wasn't so certain that Samantha would have succeeded if she'd tried. The fox had seen the woman several times while she was in the Paradisium's custody, and there was something fundamentally wrong about her. She'd never touched Seo-yun herself, but she'd smelled of madness, and there'd been a wild gleam in her eyes every time she looked at her. Seo-yun's parents had taught her to stay well clear of rabid animals.

"We should get out of here," she said. "Levinson could be back any minute, and neither of us could put up much of a fight against him right now." Part of her, the part that had been itching to rip his throat out since the day he'd burned her skin, wanted to stay and find out if that was really true, but she couldn't risk it. What she wanted now was bigger than him.

A bigger part wanted to try and rescue Celeste, but that would be suicide. Levinson hadn't been forthcoming with the details, but she'd heard enough to know that the fae was in the middle of a small army right now. She would rescue the woman someday. She would rescue everyone.

"You're not wrong," Samantha said. "Come on, I know a good route. We'll have to jump a few fences, but it should get us out of the Paradisium without anyone spotting us." She opened a side window, glanced around, then nodded and began climbing out.  
  
Seo-yun slowly got off of the bed to follow her, her limbs still adjusting to being free again, and a thought occurred to her. Her one woman vengeance campaign wasn't so simple now that Samantha was here. The woman deserved to get far away from this place, and never have to think about it again. She didn't want to drag her into a fight. "Sam, after we get out of here, we need to have a talk. About the Paradisium."

"Don't worry," Samantha said. She'd already gone through the window and was standing outside now, looking in. "You don't have to force yourself."

Seo-yun paused. "Wait, what?"

"I'm saying you don't have to help me take down the Paradisium," Samantha told her. "I won't think any less of you if you want to go back home and try to forget any of this ever happened. You deserve it, and it's probably the smarter thing to do anyway. I've just never been very good with smart. These bastards stole five years of my life, and I'm going to make every damn one of them regret it."

"No, **you're** the one who deserves to walk away," Seo-yun protested. "I have a... a **responsibility** to use my power to try and save people."

Samantha snorted. "Don't give me crap about responsibility. You don't owe anyone anything, Yip Yip. Drop the martyr act and do what's right for **you** for once. Me, I did a lot of things here to stay alive, and I'm not proud of most of them. Even if I hadn't already promised Nadia, I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try and make up for them."

"Oh, are we comparing body counts now? If anyone needs to make up for what they did, it's me!"

"Only because you're three hundred years old!" Samantha snapped, glaring at her. "Give me a few centuries worth of screw ups, and then we'll see who's worse!"

"I..." Seo-yun couldn't hold back her laughter. "You... you really will compete over just about anything, won't you?!" she said, wheezing.

"Yeah, well, you started it! "said Samantha, her face red. She tried to keep glaring at Seo-yun, but the laughter proved infectious, and soon the two of them were laughing together.

"You're going to try and take on the Paradisium no matter what I say, aren't you?" Seo-yun said eventually.  
  
"Me and you both," confirmed Samantha. She grinned at her, and it was so much better to look at without the mask in the way. "Guess we've got no choice but to do it together, huh?"

"Together," Seo-yun agreed.

"Now seriously, let's get moving," Samantha urged. "This place is a ghost town now, but it's not completely empty."

Seo-yun nodded and made her way over to the window. Her legs were still stiff, and she struggled to climb out. "How did you even find out where I was?" she asked as she worked. "And how did you get out of the underground without being caught?"

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Give me some credit, Yip Yip. I managed to survive four years of the Paradisium without an awesome magic fox at my side. I'm not **completely** helpless."

".....You set something on fire, didn't you?" Seo-yun said.

Samantha grinned again. "I set **multiple** things on fire." She held out a hand, and Seo-yun gratefully took it. "I'll tell you all about it on the way." With her help, she was able to climb through the window, and the two of them set off.

Together.


End file.
